Focaccia Bread

Preparing the Dough

• In a skillet, mix olive oil with minced garlic, thyme, rosemary and black pepper.
• Place the skillet over low heat and cook the mixture for five to ten minutes, stirring frequently.
• Ensure to cook only until the mixture is aromatic and pull off the heat before the garlic turns brown.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water with yeast and honey. Stir the mixture a couple of times and set aside for five minutes.
• Add one cup of flour and 1/4 cup of the garlic and olive oil fusion to the yeast mixture. Stir the combined mixture until dough is moistened. Let it rest for five further minutes.
• Use the remaining 1 ½ cup of flour and salt to form a dough with the yeast-flour-garlic mixture.
• On a board, knead the dough until it is smooth and soft.
• In a large greased bowl, transfer the dough and cover with a damp towel. Let it rise for approximately 1 hour.

Baking the Dough

• Once the dough has rested for 1 hour, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• In a 9-by-13 inch baking sheet, use two tablespoons of the garlic-olive oil mixture for greasing.
• Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and then press it down to level it down to the pan.
• Use your fingers to pit the dough.
• Use the remaining garlic-olive oil mixture to sprinkle on the top of the dough.
• Let the dough rise for around 20 minutes until it puffs slightly.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough has cooked to golden brown.
• Let the bread cool on a wired rack.