Camper's Herbed Focaccia

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3 to 4 tsp dried herbs (such as basil, rosemary, thyme, dill or desired combination), divided
• 1/4 cups olive oil, divided
• 1-1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt, or to taste, divided
• 1/3 cups grated Asiago, Parmesan or Romano cheese

Instructions:

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, yeast and sugar. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons very warm water and stir until dough forms*. Cover bowl and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. To dough in bowl, add 2 teaspoons herbs**, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and Asiago cheese. Use hands to work ingredients into dough until well incorporated (dough will seem oily). Knead dough for 10 minutes until smooth. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Grease bottom of Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Put dough evenly over bottom of pot. With fingers, press 1/2 inch-deep indentations evenly spaced over top of dough. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons herb and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover pot with lid.

4. Arrange about 9**** hot coals in cooking ring underneath Dutch oven. Place remaining 19 hot coals on lid. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or to desired crustiness. Rotate pot and lid twice during cooking. Adjust the number of hot coals on top and bottom as needed for even cooking. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* Even if you think you're going to need more water, wait to add it until you've fully added the oil. It will seem very dry and not like a cohesive dough until the oil is added.

** I did 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp basil, and 1 tsp thyme, and used the same ratios for the top of the bread. Also, it'll seem like the dough will never come together but if you really do knead it for 10 minutes on a non-floured surface (I just did it straight on my countertop) it will eventually form a nice dough.

*** I did 7 on bottom and 21 on top, which worked better for my oven as far as not burning the bread on the bottom. I also ended up cooking my bread for about 30 minutes, but you should check it after 20.