Food Network Kitchen’s Focaccia Bread from Kids Can Bake for KIDS CAN BAKE/KIDS CAN MAKE/EASTER, as seen on Food Network.
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Focaccia Bread

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 2 hr 45 min (includes resting, rising and cooling times)
  • Active: 30 min
  • Yield: 10 to 12 servings
There's nothing more satisfying than making bread from scratch. Turn your kitchen into a lab, and let the kids watch yeast bubble and dough rise as they participate in the experiment. For both little and big kids: Let them help measure, stir and knead.

Ingredients

Directions

Special equipment:
an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet
  1. Combine 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F) with the sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, and set aside until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together both flours and the kosher salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Once the yeast is ready, add the oil to the bowl, then the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.
  4. Lightly oil the bowl that held the flour mixture, put the ball of dough in it, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  5. Generously oil an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Punch the dough down, and transfer it to the baking sheet. Gently stretch and pat the dough to the edges of the baking sheet with your hands (it will recede slightly from the edges). (If the dough is resistant, let it rest for about 10 minutes, then try again.) Dimple the dough all over with your fingers. Loosely cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. When the dough is ready, uncover, generously drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the baking sheet on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) Never leave a child unattended in the kitchen. Limit the child to tasks that are safe and age-appropriate.