Whole Wheat Tomato, Olive and Feta Cheese Focaccia

am a total bread lover. Love all kinds. Love eating them as well as making 'em. Guess our bodies are programmed to like carbs. However, I always make it a point to use whole wheat flour in my bread to make them a little healthier.

Focaccia bread is a thick, very rustic, homely bread which may be topped with herbs and other ingredients such as onion, cheese, meat, veggies etc. It is very versatile as well. Use it for dipping or as a side to a pasta dish and salads or make sandwich, they are always great.

This one is the the easiest breads I have baked so far. The recipe is simple and if you have a food processor or electric mixer making Focaccia will be effortless. If you are new at bread baking, focaccia is great way to start because it's pretty forgiving too. As for the topping you can go as simple as brushing with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper or you can experiment with lots of toppings. I top it with whatever I have lying around. This time it happened to be feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and olives, but you could do caramelized onions, mozzarella, vegetables… really the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

Atta/ Whole wheat flour ....................... 2 cups
All Purpose Flour ................................. 2 cups
Warm Water ..................................... 1 1/2 cups 
Rapid Rise Yeast ................................. 3/4 tbsp
Sugar .............................................. 1 tsp
Garlic powder ................................... 2 tsp
Salt ................................................ 2  tsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil ........................... 4  tbsp + for greasing the pan

For topping
Cherry tomatoes ................................... 1 cup halved

Feta cheese ...................................... 1/2 cup crumbled
Mozzarella ........................................ 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Olives halved .................................... 1/2 cup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil ........................... 2 tbsp
A mix of paprika, garlic powder, 
oregano and pepper ............................. 1 tsp for topping

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, mix warm water, yeast, sugar and salt. Cover and keep for 7-10 mins until frothy
2. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil in the yeast mix. Mix both the flours and garlic powder, make a well in the middle and pour the yeast mix.
4. Knead into a dough on a floured work surface or large bowl for 2-3 minutes or until a smooth ball forms. Apply some oil on your palms as it helps while kneading.
5. Generously drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of 9x13 inch baking pan.
6. Place dough ball in pan and press into the bottom into an even rectangle shape.
7. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and keep in a warm place for 1 - 1 1/2 hour to rise (I put it under my kitchen counter light).
8. Preheat Oven to 425ºF
9. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the dough. Gently press and arrange tomatoes and olives into dough and sprinkle salt. Top with feta cheese. Drizzle dough with 2 tbsp oil. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and sprinkle the paprika, oregano, pepper and garlic powder. Let it cool down slightly, cut into desired shape n serve. ENJOY!

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