Focaccia

I made this bread to go with pasta. It ended up being an appetizer! We could not wait until the pasta was ready.

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water
3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil (plus extra for brushing)
3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary (I had to use dry, no herb garden here!)
2 Tablespoons cornmeal

In a large bowl, mix the yeast and honey with the water and let sit for 5 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup of the flour, then the salt, and the 1/3 cup olive oil.

Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Knead the moist dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 - 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl with olive oil and turn to coat. Loosely cover the bowl and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Pat each half into an oval, then use a rolling pin to roll each one into 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle with the rosemary and press into the dough (I sprinkled mine on before rolling and pressed it in with the rolling pin). Spread the cornmeal on a cookie sheet and place dough ovals on it. Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes.

Just before baking, make dimples in the bread by gently pressing your fingertips into the dough 2 inches apart. Brush the circles with the extra olive oil and place in an oven preheated to 375°. Bake for 18 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Makes 2 focacce.