The Prettiest Little Focaccia.

On a more appetizing note than yesterdays' blog on "chewy rings," ---- I just made the prettiest rosemary focaccia and it was easy, peasy, so if you are hankering for some nice flavours to accompany your next Vino Tinto session, this is the way it happened: First of all, I found the instant fast rising yeast at Sam's and it will last a long time if you keep it tightly wrapped in a cool place. You will also need some fresh rosemary, extra vrgin olive oil and maybe some black olives or Reggiano cheese depending on the variation you prefer.
So, you put 4 1/2 cups of flour in a large bowl, add 2 1/2 teaspoons of the yeast, a couple of teaspoons of salt and just mix it all through with a fork. Then add 2 cups of warm water. This is when the fun begins! After mixing it with your hands until it holds together, turn the whole mess out onto a floured surface (I use my wooden dining table) and knead it for about 10 minutes. I love kneading since it's such a pratical arm work-out and there's something comforting about the feel of the dough. Anyway, get it into a big ball, grease a large ceramic bowl with olive oil and put the dough ball in the bowl and cover with plastic. Leave it to rise for a couple of hours in a warm place. Go take a siesta!
After the dough has risen, punch it down, knead it into a ball again and put it back into the greased bowl for another 45 mins. Get a metal tray out, grease it with Olive oil, chop up some fresh rosemary, slice some olives or chop some garlic. Take the newly risen dough and plop it onto the tray (like 13" by 9" ) and poke it with your finger-tips into place until it covers the sheet. Let it rest another 10 minutes, then drizzle the dough with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle the chopped rosemary all over and maybe shred some Reggiano cheese on top. Then it's into the oven for about 20 mins. Your kitchen will smell like Mama Leona's!! Provecho!