Then I told them it’s going to taste almost like pizza. Suddenly everyone got excited.
The bread is soft and chewy and loaded with tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Unbeknownst to me turn, sun-dried tomatoes turn almost black in the oven, at least these from Trader Joe’s did. Basil is the perfect complement to the tomatoes and everything is better topped with a little cheese. The focaccia is fast and easy to make, proving it’s possible to have fresh, warm bread with dinner, even with short or no notice. It’s ready in one hour.
This is my sixth ready-in-one-hour recipe and all are the former are vegan. This dough is vegan, but the mozzarella is not. There’s One-Hour Pretzels, One-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, One-Hour Soft Buttery Breadsticks, One-Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, and One-Hour Soft Pretzel Bites. Unlike many dinner roll recipes or loaves that have a lengthy initial rise (1-2+ hours), and then shaping the dough before the second rise (1 + hour), this dough rises once, for about 25 minutes.
To make the dough I used Red Star Platinum Yeast and it’s the only yeast I bake with. It’s the best and never lets me down. If you’re a novice bread-maker, consider this yeast your insurance against goofs because it’s very forgiving. Since it’s an instant yeast, you don’t have to proof it (let it stand with warm liquids for 10 minutes or until foamy). You simply add it with the other ingredients. If you are an experienced bread maker, you’re going to love the extra puff and oven-spring you get with the Platinum. Your baked goods will rise higher and faster than you’re used to.
I used King Arthur All-Purpose because I wanted the bread to stay as soft as possible. Bread Flour will lend a chewier, thicker, denser result, more bagel-like. If you want to use whole wheat flour, read this post, don’t exceed more than 50% by volume of whole wheat flour, and if you try it, let me know how it goes. After about 5 minutes of kneading, the dough looks like this. It’s firm, smooth, supple, and not at all sticky.
Roll the dough out into a large oval and so that it’s about 1/2-inch thick. It should cover about two-thirds of your baking sheet. The shape really isn’t important. I went with a rustic oval because my rolling pin steered itself and it’s the least fussy, but you can roll it into a perfect rectangle if you wish. The dough may be a little stubborn to roll. It’s very springy and may want to recoil, but just keep rolling and finessing until you’ve gotten it to the proper size. Place it on a baking tray, cover with plasticwrap, and wait. After about 25 minutes, use your fingertips to create dimples. The dough is so soft, smooth, and making those big dimples is like playing with Play-Doh for grownups.
Top with sun-dried tomatoes, including the oil. I used Trader Joe’s Julienne Sliced Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil. Since traditional focaccia is made with lots of olive oil, the flavor-infused olive oil from the tomatoes is a great choice. Top with basil (I used fresh but dried is okay), cheese, and bake until the bread is cooked through and the cheese is melted and golden. This was 25 minutes in my oven, but will vary based on how juicy or oily your tomatoes are, how your cheese melts, and oven and climate variances.
I adore sun-dried tomatoes for both their flavor and texture. Usually I get them dried and sold in a pouch like raisins, so having them oil-packed was a treat unto itself. The additional chewiness they lend to the already chewy bread with gooey, melted cheese is perfect.
The flavor pairing of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella just work so well.
Fast, easy, and ready in one hour so there’s no excuse not to have fresh homemade bread with dinner.
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