Homemade Focaccia bread with fresh thyme

Homemade Focaccia bread is one of my favorite Italian recipes. Few basic ingredients mixed together in order to create a fluffy, airy deliciousness with this intense and wonderful Extra Virgin Olive Oil flavor. The recipe is extremely simple with only two things to remember.

1 – resting times are essential for the final result. The yeast needs time to be activated and do the magic

2 – the Extra Virgin Olive oil should be top notch quality as you are really going to taste it

This is a perfect recipe for an healthy toddler snack or a crowd pleaser at a party. I seasoned the focaccia with some fresh thyme, but you can really use any fresh herb at disposal (sage, rosemary…).

What I really like about this recipe is that the focaccia is thick and fluffy. Soft enough to be enjoyed by little palates!

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Homemade Focaccia bread with fresh thyme

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin olive Oil 120ml
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme minced
• 1 Cup luke warm water 225ml
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 2 1/2 Cup flour 350gr + few tablespoons for dusting
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a big bowl add the luke warm water, the active yeast and the honey.
   
2. 
3. Stir up until the yeast is completely dissolved and let it rest for 5 minutes
   
4. In a small bowl mix the Olive Oil with the minced thyme.
   
5. 
6. Take the big bowl with the yeast mix and add 1/2 amount of flour and 1/2 amount of oil. Mix and let it rest for 5 minutes.
   
7. 
8. Add the remaining flour and the salt. Mix
   
9. When the dough starts forming transfer it on a flat surface dusted with some flour.
   
10. Start kneading the dough with your hands for 10 minutes up until it gets elastic and shiny.
    
11. 
12. Grease a big bowl with 2 Tablespoons of oil (form the quantity left) and place the dough in it. Cover with a warm damp towel and let it rest for at least 1 hour.
    
13. The volume of the dough will double.
    
14. Transfer the dough on a baking pan and flatten it with your hands giving it an oval shape, 1/2 inch thick.Poke the dough with your fingers in order to create a lot of holes that you will fill with the remaining oil/thyme mix.
    
15. Let the focaccia rest for the last time for 20 minutes.
    
16. Bake the focaccia in preheated oven at 450F/230C for 15/20 minutes.
17. Enjoy!!