Homemade Focaccia Bread BLT

Mmm… a few nights ago, I was planning to make BLT’s but only had cheapy store-bought bread on hand. So I decided to try making homemade focaccia bread. Wowsers!!! It transformed the humble BLT to something even more scrumptious.

3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 rounded TBSP malted milk powder (I used regular dry milk)
1 tsp rosemary, optional
1/8 tsp black pepper, optional

2 tsp olive oil
1 TBSP yellow cornmeal

If you have a bread machine, just toss all the ingredients in on the dough setting.

If not, here are instructions for making it by hand:
In large bowl of electric mixer, stir together 3 cups flour, yeast, salt, milk powder, and sugar. Add warm water to flour and mix together. Stir in remaining flour gradually to make a soft dough that holds together instead of sticking to the sides of the bowl. Turn dough onto a f loured surface and knead until dough is smooth and satiny (about 10 minutes), adding just enough flour to prevent dough from being sticky. Place dough in bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (30-45 minutes).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove dough from bread machine and place on a greased baking sheet. Roll dough into a 13×15 inch rectangle. Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bake until golden (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven and brush with remaining oil. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into squares.

To make BLT’s, slice focaccia open. Stuff with mayo, chopped tomatoes, bacon, and lettuce. YUM!!!