Golden Door Focaccia Bread
The Golden Door Spa shared this chef-favorite recipe for Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread, which they use in a variety of ways — they form it into baguettes, shape it into buns for their turkey burgers, keep it flat for grilled sandwiches, and even make skinny breadsticks.
Ingredients
White and Whole Wheat Flour Blend - best for buns and baguettes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoons rosemary leaves - fresh, minced
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast - a single 1/4 oz envelope
- 1-1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1-3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
White Flour Option - best for lighter sandwich bread and bread sticks
- 2-3/4 cups all purpose flour - all remaining ingredients remain unchanged
Instructions
- In a small non-stick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the minced garlic and rosemary leaves, for just a few minutes, until the garlic is translucent, but not brown. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and warm water.
- Add the garlic-rosemary mixture.
- In another bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the salt and the flours, and whisk to blend. With the mixer running, add the flours, just 1/2 cup at a time. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm area for 30-40 minutes, or until doubled in volume.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray a baking sheet or pan with vegetable oil spray and sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Turn the dough from the oiled bowl out onto a floured board, and knead for about 5 minutes.
- For a pan of bread, form the dough into a 10x12 inch rectangle, and place on the baking sheet or in the baking pan. Spray the dough with vegetable oil spray and sprinkle with remaining salt. Add thinly shaved pieces of garlic and additional rosemary leaves, if desired.
- Let dough rise another 15-20 minutes.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden brown. About 5 minutes before removing from the oven, spray again with vegetable oil spray. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.
For Sandwich Bread
- Cut the bread into 8 rectangles and using a serrated knife, cut each triangle horizontally, and add sandwich filling.
For Sandwich Buns
- Divide the kneaded dough into 8 pieces, and with lightly floured hands, roll into a 2-3 inch ball. Set each ball on the sprayed sheet with cornmeal, at least 1 inch apart, and let the balls rest for about 5 minutes. Flatten each ball very slightly with the palm of your hand, and let rise again for 10 minutes. Spray with vegetable oil spray again, and bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and very crusty.
For Baguettes
- Divide the kneaded dough into 3 pieces, and with lightly floured hands, roll into a 10 inch long rope. Set each rope on the sprayed sheet with cornmeal, and sprinkle with more cornmeal. Set aside to rise until doubled in volume (sometimes another 30-40 minutes). Bake at 350° F for 40 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.
Nutrition
ABOUT:
The Golden Door is a unique sanctuary modeled after ancient Japanese Honjin inns with koi ponds, lush gardens, and miles of scenic hiking trails, enhanced by the latest fitness techniques, ancient relaxation therapies, and personalized counseling to promote a healthy lifestyle and inner peace. Here in this peaceful northern pocket of San Diego County, founder Deborah Szekely in 1958 developed a unique philosophy of personal health and fitness inspired by ancient Japanese Honjin inns – and the spa industry grew its first roots. Through its program of fitness training and refined nourishment coupled with indulgent, caring spa treatments, the dedicated staff work with guests to treat their bodies with the respect and care they deserve.