yum

We had pesto pasta tonight for dinner, which is a pretty light dinner, so I thought I'd look into my new cookbook for a good Italian bread to go along with it. I found the following recipe:

Rosemary Focaccia

from Baking Illustrated

makes one 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch rectangle or two 8-inch rounds

Dough

1 medium baking potato (about 9 oz.), peeled and quartered

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast

3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the bowl and pan

1 1/4 tsp. salt

Topping

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

3/4 tsp. course sea salt or 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. For the dough: Bring 1 quart water to a boil in a small saucepan; add the potato and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the potato well; cool until it can be handled comfortably; press it through the fine disk on a ricer or grate through the large holes on a box grater. Reserve 1 1/3 cups lightly packed potato.

2. Meanwhile, using a standing mixer or food processor, mix or process yeast with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup warm water until combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (or put the work bowl lid on) and set aside until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining dough ingredients, including reserved potato. If using mixer, attach the paddle and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium; continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. For the food processor, process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 40 seconds.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until the dough is puffy and doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

4. With wet hands (to prevent sticking), press the dough flat into a generously oiled 15 1/2 by 10 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet. If the dough resists going into the corners (and it probably will), cover it with a damp cloth and let it relax for 15 minutes before trying to stretch again. Or, if making rounds, halve the dough and flatten each piece into an 8-inch round on a large (at least 18 inches long), generously oiled baking sheet. Either way, cover the dough with lightly greased or oil-sprayed plastic wrap; let rise in a warm, draft-free area until the dough is puffy and doubled in volume, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. With two wet fingers, dimple the risen dough at regular intervals. The dimples (there should be about 2 dozen) should be deep enough to hold small pieces of topping, herbs, and pools of olive oil.

6. For the topping: Drizzle the dough with the oil and sprinkle evenly with the rosemary and coarse salt, landing some in pools of oil.

7. Bake until the bottom crust is golden brown and crisp, 23-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Cut rectangular focaccia into squares or round focaccia into wedges; serve warm.

I would make this bread again just for the smell. It was amazing. I didn't have a potato, so I went out on a limb and used one cup of prepared potato pearls (which is 1 cup hot water mixed with 1/2 cup potato pearls). It worked out really well and was easier. This is definitely worth a try.