Bread

I have been a slacker this summer about posting. Life has been busy between work and going out of town. But here is a fun post.
I have been hitting my old Italian cookbook from when I took a cooking class in Florence in college. Since being back I have tried several recipes and so far all have been good. Last night I got ambitious and tried to make Focacia Bread. It turned out better than I though. Not quite as flat and salty and oily as the good stuff, but I will hopefully perfect it in recipes to come.

Basic ingredients and my Food of Italy cookbook. Flour, water, yeast, oil, salt, and some sage. Yeast is insane...I have never cooked with it. It is in that blue bowl and started out 1/3 that size and just kept growing and growing. Pretty crazy!

I had to do a lot of kneading. 15 minutes worth and then 5 later. I learned that kneading is a good arm workout...another way Italians manage to stay fit.

Before rising

An hour later

Ready to cook

 Finished product (minus my tastes)

Not too bad for the first run. Next time more salt and herbs and roll it flatter or use less yeast.