I was inspired by vineyardbaker on Instagram and decided to try focaccia bread art for Easter. I used the recipe from this site for the focaccia.
https://www.inspiredtaste.net/19313/easy-focaccia-bread-recipe-with-herbs/
>Ingredients
>1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
>2 garlic cloves, finely minced [I used 5, but my husband and I are garlic fiends]
>1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
>1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
>1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
>1 cup (235 ml) warm water
>2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
>1/4 teaspoon honey
>2 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
>1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
In a cold medium skillet, combine olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and the black pepper. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until aromatic, but before the garlic browns. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Stir a few times then let sit for 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the flour and a 1/4 cup of the infused garlic-olive oil mixture to the bowl with yeast and honey. Stir 3 to 4 times until the flour has moistened. Let sit for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt. When the dough comes together, transfer to a floured board and knead 10 to 15 times until smooth.
Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover with a warm, damp towel and let rise for 1 hour. (It’s best to let the dough rise in a warmer area of your kitchen).
After 1 hour, heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use two tablespoons of the remaining garlic-olive oil mixture to oil a 9-inch by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. (See above if you do not have this pan size).
Transfer the dough to the baking sheet then press it down into the pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough then drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the garlic-olive oil mixture. Let the dough rise for 20 minutes until it puffs slightly.
This is where I slightly deviated from the website's recipe.
I added sliced bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, black olives, green olives, cauliflower, and sprigs of thyme, rosemary, dill, and chives for the springtime decor. Just pressed slightly down into the dough. Then back to the original recipe.
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool baked focaccia bread on a wire rack. [I ended up lowering the heat to 350 after 15 min and continued baking for another 6-ish minutes. It was slightly hard to the touch at this point instead of springy and I was worried I had overcooked it, but once it cooled and we cut into it, it was PERFECT.]
