Ingredients
- 3¾ cups plus 4 ½ tsp all purpose flour or bread flour cups measured by spooning the flour into the cups and leveling off with the back of a knife
- 1 very full Tbsp instant yeast NOT regular active yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 AOOC EVOO like Ascolano or your favorite Fused/Infused Oil
- 1¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp COLD water (Don’t use warm water)
- 4 more Tbsp EVOO
- 2 Tbsp fresh
- Italian cheese blend, a good parmesan or asiago mix
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast, salt and 1 Tbsp EVOO
- Add the water and mix well until you can see no more dry flour and you have a wet, slightly lumpy looking mess. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and integrate all ingredients well.
- Cover with cling wrap and leave on the kitchen counter for a minimum of 7 hours and a maximum of 9 hours. Do not refrigerate and do not leave anywhere really warm. Just normal room temperature is fine.
- About 20 minutes before the time is up preheat your oven to 400°F and line an 8×8 square pan(a cake tin or brownie pan) with parchment paper. A larger pan is fine but the bread will be a little more flat.
- When the oven is at temperature, scrape the dough out of the bowl and into the pan. I use a dough scraper but a silicone spatula or spoon will be fine. It will be clingy and sticky.
- Once it’s all in the pan, flatten it out so it’s as even as you can get it all over, then using a finger dipped in olive oil, make dimples all over the top.
- Drizzle over the olive oil (be as generous as you feel comfortable with) and sprinkle on the rosemary and salt.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 37 – 40 minutes.
- Add cheese blend over the top in the last 10-15 minutes. When done it will be starting to go golden brown in places on the top.
- Remove from the oven, lift out using the paper as handles and place on a cooling rack.
- Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.