Tomato-Herb Focaccia

We made this fantastic bread last night for dinner. I found it in our latest Taste of Home   (February/March 2011) magazine and thought it looked delicious…and wow! WOW! WOW!!

Here’s the recipe…give it a try!

1 pkg. (1/4oz.) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. each dried oregano, thyme and rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried basil

Dash pepper

2 to 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 Tbsp. oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, pepper and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
2. Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into a 13-in x 9in rectangle; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With fingertips, make several dimples over top of dough.
4. Brush dough with remaining oil; arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack.

Enjoy!