Sundried Tomato Focaccia

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons rapid-rising dry yeast
• • 1 cup warm water
• • 2 tablespoons sugar
• • 3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
• • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• • 1/4 cup olive oil

• Toppings: 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
• • 2 garlic cloves, minced
• • • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• • Freshly ground black pepper
• • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour to the bowl. Once incorporated, add the water and salt. Finally, Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form the dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (30-45 minutes)

Coat a  cookies with a little olive oil. Once the dough is doubled and domed, turn it out onto the counter. Roll and stretch the dough out to an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick. Lay the flattened dough on the pan and cover with plastic wrap again. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Uncover the dough and dimple with your fingertips.Top the dough with salt, pepper, minced garlic, sundried tomato, and rosemary then paint with remaining olive oil. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

This recipe gets a four whisk rating! I am not trying to say that focaccia cannot be made without a stand mixer but I certainly would not have tried the recipe if I had not had my stand mixer to use. For that reason, the focaccia earns the four whisks!