Are you looking for a different bread recipe or just different toppings? I use whatever fresh herbs I have on hand or any combination of the following:

Roasted Tomatoes
kalamata olives
sauteed onions
shaved parmesan
crumbled gorgonzola
tiny pieces of proscuitto

Good luck! Soup sounds terrific and I jsut bought Italian Sausage, I think I may be following your lead.

Alexa

Garlic, Tomatoes and Black Olives
Sliced tomatoes, Garlic, fresh basil, parmesan cheese

That second one looks like a winner.. well actually they all do, but the second one will compiment the tort.soup I think..

Thank you so much.. sometimes I get in a rut and get like brain freeze and just cannot think beyond what I have already done.. I appreciate the push.. it worked..

Carolyn

Ann t, they all look great, but the crumb of the bread is most appealing. Will you post a recipe? TYIA.

Steve

Here's the recipe I use, not sure whom I obtained it from.

Foccacia Mix
Makes one 9x13 pan of Foccacia
1 package active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. dried rosemary (fresh is better)
1 1/2 cups bread flour (I have used AP flour)
1/2 t. salt
Combine all in a bowl and blend with a wire whisk.
To make up a recipe:
Foccacia Mix
1/2 cup warm water
4 TB olive oil
salt
Put the mix into a large ceramic or glass mixing bowl. Add the warm water and 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Blend the dough with a wooden spoon until it is smooth. If too dry, add water by the Tbsp full; if the dough is too sticky, add a bit of flour. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and rotate the dough to coat the surface with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, approximately one hour.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Punch the dough down on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 9x13" rectangle and place in the oiled 9x13" pan. Brush the surface of the dough with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle salt evenly over the dough surface. Bake 5 minutes. Pierce any air bubbles with a fork and bake about 8 minutes more. Remove from pan and cut into 3" squares. Serve warm with pesto.
You can put any topping on it you would like while baking. Herbs, cheeses, olives etc.

Linda

This is fast, easy, and delicious...
Enjoy,
Sue

Foccacia

Consider topping with fresh tomatoes or carlmelized onions. Add goat cheese after baking and return to oven briefly to
warm cheese.
2 3/4 Cups All-purpose flour, divided
1 Package active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
1 t. Salt
2 t. Chopped fresh rosemary , divided
1 T. Sugar
2 t. Solid white vegetable shortening
1 C. Tepid water (120 F)
2 t. Olive oil for sauteing, extra for drizzling on top
1 Small onion, thin sliced
Olive oil
salt and pepper
In a large bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups of flour, yeast, salt, and 1 t. rosemary.
In a small bowl, mix sugar, shortening, and water.
Add sugar/water mixture to flour mixture.
Add remaining 1/4 cup flour.
Stir mixture until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
Transfer onto cool, fry surface and knead about 8 - 10 minutes (here's where a Kitchen Aide mixer comes in real handy)
If dough is sticky, add flour in small amounts as needed.
Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with towel, and let rise at least 1 1/2 hours in draft-free place.
Dough should double in volume.
Grease 9-inch cake pan and press dough into pan. Set aside.
To prepare topping, saute remaining 1 t. rosemary and onion in oil about 10 minutes at low to moderate heat.
If more liquid is needed, use a little water and cook until dry.
Spread rosemary/onion mixture on dough and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden.

Steve, this is the recipe I use for Italian Bread/Focaccia.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Italian Bread
=============
This recipe is also perfect for both Focaccia and Pizza.

Sometimes I make a Biga the night before using 1 1/2 cups of the flour used in this recipe with one cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon yeast. If you don't have time to make the biga then this the recipe works just fine as follows. This is a very wet dough and needs to be mixed in a machine for a long time before you can finish kneading by hand. I use a Magic Mill Machine. If you are using something like a kitchenaide you have to watch it carefully as it climbs up the beater or hook.

8 cups Bread flour
1 tablespoon Yeast
1-1/2 tablespoons Salt
About 4 cups of water
2 tablespoons olive oil. (optional)
. Mix flour yeast water and oil( Optional) (not salt) together for a minute and leave for 20 minutes for the water to be partially absorbed.
Add salt and mix for about 30 minutes until the dough comes together enough to be worked by hand. Continue kneading until smooth. Place in an large oiled bowl and rub olive oil on top, cover and let rise until more than doubled. Pour out on to surface and divide into the number of
loafs you require. Do not punch out the air. Shape into loafs, sprinkle tops with flour and leave to rise on a flour/cornmeal dusted surface.
Heat tile/stones in oven to 500 degrees while bread is rising. Slide loafs on to hot stone and spray with cold water, three times, three minutes apart. Lower heat to 450� and bake for about 30 minutes. (I can do two loafs at a time in the oven on a large stone).

Focaccia:

To make Focaccia use some of the dough and place in a oil rubbed pan
(I use a rectangle shaped cake pan) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. Using you fingers indent the focaccia and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with whatever toppings you prefer. Salt, Rosemary, Sauted or thinly sliced onions, black olives, etc....

Focaccia can be baked directly on heated pizza stone as well.

Works for Pizza too.

Thanks Ann t, i can't wait to try it!

Steve

Thank you for your input and ideas and recipes...

I no longer do Focaccia with two rises... just the one in the pan with an olive oil/butter mix and the other add ins such as onions, pepper flakes, italian seasoning, parm cheese.. over the top.. and it comes out perfect... and faster too.

This is some Asiago Garlic focaccia I made awhile back and it has a nice crumb and was really tasty.. crispy outside and soft and flavorful inside... I let my yeast proof to kill some of the yeasty taste...

Carolyn

I love a plain one, then straight out of the oven, topped with fresh pesto, cherry toms and more basil. Or, fresh tapenade.

You are welcome Steve.

Ann

ann_t - Would your recipe work in a food processor? Your focaccia has me drooling!

It will depend on your food processor and you will definitely have to cut the recipe in half. No food processor is going to handle eight cups of very wet dough.

I put together a pictorial - Wet Dough in a Food Processor.

Ann

Thanks Ann, the pictorial was helpful!