Try saying that 5 times fast.
I found some really great local red peppers the other day and couldn't think of a meal to make with them so I made bread! If you make this bread you'll want to share it. It's that good. (If I do say so myself).
I created my own recipe based on Paul Hollywood's Focaccia Pugliese with Tomatoes and Garlic.
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
scant 4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon salt (I used kosher, but any will do)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dry active yeast (activated per package instructions)
1 cup water
salt water made from 1 1/2 tablespoons salt (kosher, again) dissolved in scant 1/2 cup warm water
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
1/8 cup chopped roasted red pepper*
2-3 baby portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
Add garlic to the olive oil, let infuse while preparing the dough.
Put flour, salt yeast, half the infused oil (leaving the garlic in the remaining oil) and all the water in a large bowl and mix for 4 minutes (it will look kind of piecey). Tip out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 6 minutes, return to bowl and let rest for 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet. Roll dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Place on baking sheet. Brush lightly with salt water mix, then the remaining oil. Prick the bread all over with a knife and place tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms on top. Let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425°. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Eat warm.
*Making your own roasted peppers is super easy! Place your washed and dried pepper on a baking sheet in a 500° oven for about 30-40 minutes turning every 5-10 minutes to blacken the outside (it doesn't need to be completely black). If the pepper pierces when to try to rotate it it's probably done. Remove pepper and place in aluminum foil until cool enough to handle. The skin should just fall off. Slice it open and remove the seeds. You can chop it or not but to store put the pepper in an air tight container and drizzle with olive oil. Yay Peppers!
Serve it with a salad for a light meal!
This bread was soooo good! Make it and try it yourself and if you like it "give it away".
P.S. I've been very busy lately getting ready for grad school and a big move to Chicago.
