I always say that the smell of bread baking in the oven adds warmth to a home. If you’re selling your home, get baking and you would turn a couple people into potential buyers. Heck, I’d buy a house that smells of baked goods. You know where I’m going?
I love baking bread for this very reason. While making this Focaccia bread, my apartment smelled like a pizzeria. My brother said this bread is a “winner.” It’s crispy, chewy and just plain perfect with any dip you fancy. I like it with pizza sauce. And why not? It is an Italian bread after all.
If you’re more into visuals, check out how I make this!
Jalapeno and Cheddar Focaccia Bread
This bread is crispy, chewy and so easy to make you'll wonder why you never made this before!
Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp yeast
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup olive oil divided
- Jalapeno peppers fresh
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix flour and salt.
- In a measuring cup, dissolve yeast along with sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water (not too hot because it will kill the yeast). Let the yeast sit for 5 minutes and bubble up*
- In your flour mixture, pour in half of the olive oil followed by your activated yeast. Either knead by hand or use a stand mixer. Add in enough water until the dough comes together and forms into a smooth pliable ball.
- Oil the bowl with a little bit of oil to prevent any crust from forming on the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or saran wrap and let ithe dough dough double in size. I like to tuck the bowl away in a dry place like a cabinet.
- Once the dough has doubled in volume, flatten it out in a greased 9x13 inch pan. If the dough shrinks as you spread it to the edges of the pan, let it rest for a few minutes and proceed.
- Cover the pan to let the dough rise a second time (about 30 mins to an hour). The dough would not rise too much at this point but would be enough to make it fluffy.
- At this point preheat your oven to 425 degrees F
- Now take your fingers and press them into the surface of the dough. You want to create the signature dimples of Focaccia bread throughout the surface.
- Now brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and top with sliced jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese.
- Baked for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. I like to turn on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top just slightly.
- Enjoy!
- Finally top with
Notes
*I used instant yeast. You are not required to dissolve instant yeast in water and can mix it straight in the flour. However, I still prefer dissolving it to ensure the yeast has not expired. *If the yeast does not bubble in five minutes, it has most likely expired. The yeast will also die if the water is too hot.
