Making soft fluffy bread has always been a dream of mine. Its also been an unattainable one for me, till now. Frustrated at the multiple failures, I had quit baking bread many times. But I always come back with this ‘one last try’.

And during this latest ‘last trial’, the miracle happened. The focaccia turned out to be soft and fluffy and I turned totally speechless! Now, that’s two miracles!

I can’t really express my happiness in words, nor can hubby express his relief at not having to break his teeth. Hopefully, this will inspire me to bake more bread that’s finally edible. Read on for the Focaccia recipe :)

 

Its Blog Hop time again and this time I am paired with the very talented Mireille of Chef Mireille’s Global Creations. Her blog is quite familiar for me since she is also a regular participant of Blogging Marathon.

I was totally confused as to what to make/bake, since her space has lots and lots of truly global recipes. I already had her Choco chip Banana bread in my bookmarks, but since there weren’t any bananas at home I couldn’t make it. Then slowly I shifted my focus to this ‘Pizza style Focaccia’ and I am glad I did!  

 

Recipe Source : Gourmet Global

Serves :  3-4

Ingredients:

For the bread :

• Plain Flour            :          4 1/2 cups
• Yeast                       :           2 tsp
• Sugar                      :            1/2 tsp
• Salt                          :            1/2 tsp
• Water                     :            2 cups

For the topping:

• Red peppers         :          1 medium, sliced into long pieces
• Yellow peppers   :          1 medium, sliced into long pieces
• Green peppers    :           1/2 small, sliced long
• Onion                     :            1 medium, sliced
• Salt,pepper, chili flakes

For the sauce: (optional) 

• Red pepper (I used green) :       2 big, whole
• garlic pods                                :       2
• Milk                                             :       1/4 cup
• Cheese                                        :       3/4 cup

Method:

1. Dilute the yeast in warm water. I usually microwave the water for 10 seconds and check the heat and if its not too hot, add the yeast to it. Add sugar and let the yeast sit undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. I leave it in the MW itself.
2. When the yeast has foamed, take the flour in a big bowl and add the yeasted water and salt and form a dough, mixing with your hand. Once the dough is formed, knead for 4-5 minutes till a soft dough is formed. You will have to add more water or flour, depending on whether the dough is really dry or wet.
3. Cover with a plate and keep aside for an hour or till its doubled in size. Punch the dough back and knead for a minute and then again leave undisturbed for another 45 minutes.
4. Heat a pan, add the sliced vegetables for topping and season with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Do a taste test and keep aside.
5. For the sauce, roast a whole red pepper on open flame. You can use two forks for holding the pepper or you can roast them in the oven. Once the skin is black, remove from heat and put it in a plastic bag for two minutes. The skin will peel off easily this way. Take off the skin, grind this into a smooth paste along with the garlic pods.
6. In a pan, add this ground roasted pepper paste and 1/4 cup milk and bring it to a boil. Add the cheese and mix until it all comes together to a boil. Keep aside for cooling.
7. Once the dough is ready, spread it in a cookie sheet and arrange the veggies on top. Pour the sauce on top of it and let the whole thing rest for another 20-30 minutes.
8. When the dough is resting, preheat the oven. Once the dough is ready, bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 180C/ 350F, or until the bread is done and shrinks away from the sides.
9. Serve with coke/pepsi or any other aerated drink.

Note: I used green peppers for the sauce, I used the sauce in only one half. I sprinkled cheese on the other half. 

Season these with pizza seasoning and chili flakes while serving.