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I've been wanting to try my hand at whole wheat focaccia bread for some time, so I'm excited to partner with Pleasant Hill Grain and share how it turned out in today's sponsored post.
Featured Comment
This recipe was great and easy for a yeast bread beginner! Loved the oven trick!
Freshly Ground Wheat Tastes Better
First of all, many people aren't crazy about the taste of whole-wheat flour, especially if they're just starting to transition from the Standard American Diet where everything is white, white, white! Trust me, I am a former white bread girl and used to feel exactly the same.
But early on in my mission to cut out processed food, I discovered that foods made with freshly ground flour taste SO much better than anything pre-made or even using the off-the-shelf whole grain flour. And I was willing to do whatever it took to make whole-wheat palatable enough for me not to hate it.
At first, I thought grinding your own wheat sounded like someone going a little overboard with making their own food, but I promise it is a simple as grinding your own coffee.
I show you just how easy it is in this quick video clip with my KoMo Classic Grain Mill from Pleasant Hill Grain...
Know What's In Your Food
Not only does freshly ground wheat taste better, but it's better for you, as well. Pleasant Hill Grain offers electric and manual grain mills, as well as flakers/rollers and flour sifters, which can honestly be a fun way to provide your family with all that whole-grain goodness many of us are desiring (including gluten-free choices). It's one sure-fire way to ensure you are truly getting 100% whole-grain, without making things too difficult or time-consuming. Not to mention the satisfaction of “truly scratch-made” foods that are really better in every way!
And for those who need to eat gluten-free due to an allergy or intolerance, milling gluten-free grains at home offers a thousand times more flexibility than buying processed gluten-free products. With freshly ground GF flour, you can make any recipe you can find or create… the sky’s the limit!
Whole-Wheat Rosemary Focaccia Bread Recipe
And now back to that yummy focaccia bread I made. My girls recently made some in a local cooking class (with Chef Alyssa), and the little taste they brought home for me inspired me to try the recipe myself with whole-wheat flour (and a couple other little tweaks). Here's the final healthy focaccia recipe, just in time for Thanksgiving dinner ... would be a yummy way to soak up the last bits of gravy off your plate!
Whole-Wheat Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 1 envelope active dry yeast (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees F)
- 1 little squeeze honey (about ½ teaspoon)
- 2 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (freshly ground tastes great in this recipe!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves (coarsely minced)
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water then add a little squeeze of honey to help it bloom (this works in place of sugar). Set aside until the yeast foams up, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the flour to a large stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix in the salt and then add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil along with the water/yeast mixture. Knead until smooth.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and knead a little more by hand on a floured surface. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
I like to heat my oven to 200 degrees F, turn it off, and then place the bowl of dough in the warm oven to proof. If after 20 minutes or so you notice the dough is not rising, take it out, knead it a little more by hand (on a floured surface), and try again. - Transfer the dough to a 9 X 13-inch rimmed sheet pan (half of a normal-sized cookie sheet), stretching it out and tearing off pieces (if necessary) to press it down into one fairly even layer.
Dimple the dough with your fingers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover with plastic and let the dough rise again on the counter or in your still-warm oven until puffed up, about 20 minutes (pictured). At this point you can refrigerate overnight if you'd like to prep this recipe a day in advance.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle the rosemary evenly over top, season with black pepper and additional salt (to taste), finish with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
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