Lavender Focaccia
Lavender focaccia bread is great served as an hors d’oeuvres. If you are looking for a fun addition to your holiday meal, this is it. It can be served plain and dipped into olive oil or if you have made a chicken or a turkey, it turns that bird into an incredible sandwich! Besides incredible flavor, there are always health benefits to cooking with lavender.
The ingredientsIngredients:
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 tsp dry yeast
4 c. flour
1 tbsp dried lavender
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
Begin by making a sponge of ½ cup warm water and 1 tsp dry yeast. Mix and allow to sit for 10 minutes or until foam forms. Add ¾
c. flour and 1 tsp minced garlic and stir until smooth. Allow to sit in a warm place for 45 minutes, covered. Read a favorite novel as you wait.
Dissolve another tsp of dry yeast in 1 cup warm water. Mix into the sponge. Add ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tsp sea salt, and 1 to 3 T chopped dried lavender flowers. Then slowly add 3 ¼c. flour, stirring. Knead until smooth. Allow to rise, covered, for one hour. Make a phone call to someone you haven’t talked to for a long time as you sip your beverage and wait.
Turn dough onto oiled baking sheet, spread with fingers until 11 x 17 inches. Cover with cloth and let rise one hour. Another time to do something you don’t give yourself time to do—you get the idea!
Press fingers into top every few inches, leaving indentations. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice.
This makes a great hors d’oeuvre, and you will enjoy it all the more for the making of it..