Under the Lowcountry Sun: Focaccia Biscuit Bread
From Carrie Morey's Hot Little Suppers cookbook
Ingredients
- • 4 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lily)
- • 1 packet of instant yeast
- • Pinch of sugar
- • 2 cups warm water
- • 4-5 rosemary sprigs
- • Parmesan rind (optional)
- • ½ olive oil, plus more for coating the pan + topping the dough
- • Sea salt
- • Olives for garnish (optional)
Buongiorno! For this last semester, my eldest daughter Caroline has been studying abroad in Florence, Italy and I have eagerly been waiting to visit her with the rest of the family. While dreaming of the perfect week in Italy, I’ve found myself brainstorming ways to bring a taste of Tuscany here to the lowcountry. And why not try to combine Italian classics with Southern staples?
From all of my brainstorming, I thought of all the ways that I could combine biscuits with traditional Italian flavors. And I thought to myself, why couldn’t I fuse tender focaccia bread with our fluffy, down-pillow biscuits? The outcome was this Focaccia Biscuit Bread topped with rosemary and olives; crispy and crunchy on the outside while maintaining that fluffy, airy crumb on the inside. This recipe was molto delizioso!
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Prepare a sheet pan by coating generously with olive oil.
- In a quart container or small bowl, add 1 ¾ cup of warm water. Add in a couple sprigs of rosemary and the optional parmesan rind. Set aside and allow flavors to steep in the water for about 5 minutes. Remove rosemary and Parmesan rind after steeping.
- In a small ramekin or bowl, mix sugar, yeast, and remaining ¼ cup of warm water. Whisk until combined and let sit until bubbles form.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour and ½ olive oil. Mix together until flour resembles grated Parmesan cheese. Make a well in the flour and add your rosemary-parmesan water slowly. Fully mix until dough is wetty and slightly tacky.
- Sprinkle a little extra flour on the top of the dough while in the bowl, then turn out the dough onto your oiled pan. Carefully spread dough into an even layer across the pan, then drizzle with additional olive oil. Dimple the surface of the dough with your fingertips, then add any toppings of your choice. I used more rosemary sprigs and some olives I had on hand.
- Bake at 425ºF for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!