Black Olive Focaccia Bread

Black Olive Focaccia Bread

This bread is fun and easy to make. Your family will be impressed and they will love you forever!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried or fresh rosemary
1 can (3.8 ounce) sliced black olives, drained
2 cups warm water

Extra olive oil, coarse sea salt and rosemary for sprinkling

Directions:

Place all the ingredients together in a stand-up mixer bowl, except the warm water.

Using a dough hook attachment, mix all the ingredients together while slowly adding the water. Mix the dough until it comes together and forms a sticky ball.

Place the dough ball inside a lightly oiled clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place a clean towel over the plastic wrap and let rise and double in size for about an hour or more.

Oil an 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll baking pan.

Deflate your dough and place it on the baking sheet. Using your hands to push, pull and press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Once finished, cover the pan with a towel and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Use your fingertips to make dimples in the focaccia dough.

Drizzle olive oil over the dough and spread with a brush. Sprinkle rosemary and coarse sea salt over the top of your bread and let rise for another 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a pale golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing bread.

Green Olive Tapenade

Green Olive Tapenade
Recipe submitted by Ronnette Peters Megrey

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted green olives, chopped fine
5 anchovy fillets, chopped fine
3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons squeezed lemon juice

Toasted baguette slices or crackers
Olive oil

Directions:

Place olives, anchovies, capers, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl and mix.  Store in airtight container, refrigerated for up to one week.

Toasted Baguette Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the baguette diagonally into 1/4-inch slices.  Place the slices on a baking sheet. Brush each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the toasts for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are crisp and browned  Serve at room temperature.

Recipe submitted by Ronnette Peters Megrey