I did it! Made my very first bread using yeast. Powering through my fear of working with yeast, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked out. If you’d like to see how its done step by step, Dara did a fabulous guest post for my Bread 101 series. That coupled with Shulie, Nelly and Lora’s #breakingbread series gave me the final push I needed to go ahead and bake my first loaf. My bread of choice? Garlic and Thyme Focaccia.
Trying that first bite of of the first bread you’ve baked is a once in a lifetime experience. And boy, was it satisfying! Everyone needs to experience this moment in their lives and trust me, if I can bake bread, so can you.
I picked a fairly simple recipe, read through it a couple of times and embarked on my adventure. The kneading is, I was led to believe, critical. You have to trust your instinct and know when to stop. Surely one gets the hang of it after having done it a dozen times but what do you do in your first go? The combination of garlic and thyme was just right. Instead of using whole or crushed garlic, the recipe called for 1 tablespoon of oil being heated along with the garlic. I used a garlic flavored olive along with 2 cloves of garlic which did the trick and which gave it an intense flavor. Always use fresh herbs. Don’t think of replacing it with the dried variety. I couldn’t take too many pictures on the day so I’m sharing just a couple to show you the texture of the bread.
Over to the recipe: Light, tender crumb infused with garlic and thyme – just perfect when smeared with butter fresh out the oven.
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 package dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
- 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2⅓ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided (about 11¼ ounces)
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used garlic infused)
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ¾ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in fine sea salt. (Making sure the water isn’t too warm)
- In another bowl, measure 2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour, stirring the yeast mixture slowly to a soft dough.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining ⅓ cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
- Generously grease a large bowl, with cooking spray or olive oil. Place the dough coated nicely, turning the coat side up and cover and let it rise in a warm place (85°) free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- To know if its done, gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.
- In the meantime, heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove garlic from oil with a slotted spoon; discard garlic, and remove pan from heat.
- Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Brush garlic oil over dough; sprinkle with thyme. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Make indentations in top of dough using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips; sprinkle dough evenly with coarse sea salt. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
#BreakingBread is a series hosted by Lora, Shulie and Nelly. Hop over to check out the other recipes.
Happy Baking!
Your focaccia looks picture perfect! I love garlic and thyme so I can’t wait to try this. Pinned!
Wow, you did such a wonderful job on these! I can’t believe this is your first bread using yeast. It is absolutely perfect!
This is absolutely stunning.
Perfect focaccia! Who wouldn’t love the smell of thyme and garlic in their bread? Pass me some olive oil and focaccia. Yum!
Love this! Buzzed it! The focaccia bake-in looks so fun. I’m definitely making some focaccia in the next week.
Congrats! Your first attempt turned out wonderful!
Fantastic! You baked bread for the first time! It looks absolutely delicious.
Kudos for your first yeast experience! And garlic focaccia, it´s the prefect bread!
I totally agree that baking that first loaf of bread if a life changer. Yours looks delicious and I love the flavor combination!
Way to go! The bread looks great :)
Congrats! It looks fantastic! I love making homemade bread! I get some kind of weird pleasure out of it! I guess it’s because I can make it any flavor I desire!! Nothing like some good, fresh, homemade bread!
Welcome to the world of yeast!! I overcame my fear a few months back… and isnt it just the best..i got the biggest kick just seeing the dough double in size!!! :)) and yours looks awesome!!!
Your focaccia looks perfect! I can’t believe it was your first time! I don’t bake a lot of yeast breads either, but my one staple recipe is a tomato herb focaccia and it is probably one of my very favorite things to bake :) Homemade focaccia is soooo good!
Wow, what a wonderful job on your first try. Yeast doesn’t scare me it was the baking cakes or muffins from scratch. This looks dleicious. Yeast is fun, now you can try anything.
What!?!?! This was your first yeast bread!!!!??? I’m shocked. Well, you did an EXCELLENT job! Your focaccia looks delicious – light and herby! Great job and congratulations! I bet we’ll be seeing a lot more yeast on this site. :)
This looks so tasty. Focaccia bread can come in many different textures, but I do prefer this lighter style. The garlic and thyme is a great blend. Welcome to the world of yeast breads, with this success I know there is more to come!
Your focaccia is just beautiful! There’s nothing better than homemade bread, yum! :)
Just you wait….now you’ll be addicted ;) Gorgeous focaccia! Congrats on your 1st use of yeast :P
Wow, amazing focaccia!And that too your first time!!Way to go girl :)I love the flavors and the moist fluff texture of your bread.Nothing like a fresh warm bread from the oven!Yumm..
You overcame your fear of yeast… YOU? If you are scared of baking with yeast, what does that mean for the rest of us novices? I still haven’t baked with yeast, I just don’t know how, also lazy, don’t wanna learn something new. I’ll give it a try.. I love focaccia bread. :-)
This is very interesting, last weekend I had a reconciliation with the yeast. The last breads I tried to made were a disaster , but last week I tried again with a classid white bread and it was a success, so now I’m exited to work again with yeast.
I will try your focaccia, looks wonderful.
This was your first attempt using yeast? I’m in awe…it looks perfect!
Welcome to the wonderful world of yeast breads. You did a great job, and your photos are fantastic! I can smell the garlic and thyme… Cheers!
My mouth is watering!! So YUMMY
Great job, An! Baking with yeast is very gratifying. I think you’ll be more courageous to try more with your Bread series that you have going on here. It’s all very inspirational. I enjoy focaccia as a snack and even for dinner;) Happy bread baking! :)Thanks for linking to us:)
I love focaccia! Yours looks fabulous.
For your very first bread this is perfect – what a soft fluffy bread :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru! :)
Looks so good. I will have some friends invited for dinner soon. I think they will be delighted to taste this focaccia!
Whooo HOOO!!! =] Yeast isn’t as scary as it seems. I remember the first time I made bread using it, I was terrified! Watch out, it’s addictive! It looks fantastic.
You’re right! I’m already planning my next move! Heh.
I love making focaccia… I’ll have to try your garlic recipe. Sometimes I cheat and make the dough in a bread maker:)
And how does that turn out? Do you think there’s a difference in the texture of the bread when you knead it yourself?
For sure, there’s a difference. The way I make it all depends on how much time I have:)
Well done! It doesn’t look that it is your first one. Thyme and garlic blends so well in the bread.
They sure do. Thanks Neetu! :)
This looks lovely. Great job on your first bread making experience. I certainly went successful. Focaccia is a versatile bread. You have to love it.
Thanks Emily. :)
I love focaccia bread! This looks fabulous!
Looks so delicious! Perfectly done for a first timer!
This looks perfect!
This is a perfect focaccia! Well done!
WOO HOO!!!! I am so excited to hear you have made your first yeasted bread:-) Your focaccia looks soooooo beautiful! Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra! I’m super excited too! :)
Oh my word!! These looks fantastic and do irresistible! Congrats in this mazing bread my friend!! Can I come over for din to try this out? I’ll bring a soup! ;-)
Hi Anuradha,
What a superb combination of flavors. Looks gorgeous like all your other baked goods.
Yay! It looks great! I’m slowly working my way though my fear of yeast bread baking… I’ve mastered a few recipes… but still learning. SLOWLY! This Focaccia needs to get added to my list!
Now this is one very beautiful focaccia, I love that you added garlic and the thyme should compliment it very nice!!
I don’t know why working with yeast and dough overwhelms me. I would love to make this focaccia!! You baking gals amaze me. :)
Congrats on making your own bread. I love making bread. It’s so amazing.
One of my favorite breads! This version looks so delicious.
your focaccia looks so delicious – i can’t believe it is your first yeast bread! awesome job!!
Congratulations on your first yeast bread–you totally got the perfect foccacia texture!
I love focaccia. Especially with garlic! Give me some focaccia warm outta the oven with olive oil and herbs for dipping. HEAVEN!
I used to make fresh bread all the time when I was at home raising kids. We’d make bread, rolls and pretzels. The kids loved making pretzels. It was so much fun! I so agree with you about using fresh herbs. They make such a difference. You did a beautiful job on this focaccia!!
This makes me want to bake facaccia! Yours looks picture perfect – a natural!
It is so well done, looks beautiful. All the best for all the wonderful stuff you are going to bake with yeast.
It sounds very easy to make this dish though it looks like a long ingredient list! bookmarked!
Looks so light and tender!
oh wow, this looks like it turned out amazing! i make a lot of bread but have yet to try focaccia + this one looks just wonderful. nicely done!
Wow, you did an awesome job at your first attempt with yeast!
THE DRED YEAST! Well done! I’m not quite there yet but I’ve got uber respect for those who know how to make yeast their bi*ch :)
Brilliant focaccia!
BUZZED
Hahah! I totally agree. I loved your egg version – such a brilliant idea. :)
Congratulations … Baking bread is a true art and takes time to perfect … Looks like you did a great job!
This was your first go ’round with yeast?? I’m stunned because the beautifil focaccia I see looks pretty perfect and professional, to me! Love the garlic and thyme combo. Can’t wait to see more of your forays into yeastland!
Another great focaccia! Buzzed!!
This looks so good!!! Focaccia is such a great beginner’s bread.
Gorgeous! And congrats on a yeast bread. I am still to chicken to try. Looks tasty.
I loove your focaccia recipes and I cant wait to make this one.
And once you’ve started making your own bread, you’re gonna get addicted to fresh homemade warm breads and their aroma! :D
At least I’ve stopped purchasing breads. Only buying croissants once every week coz they’re a lot of hard work…
Absolutely perfect. I want some.
Well done! That focaccia looks amazing. So smooth.
Cheers,
Rosa
Among all your recipes, this is the best for me. I am more in savoury food than desserts. That does not mean I don’t admire the rest of dessert recipes because they are really great.
Congratulations, your focaccia look perfect!
Ahh yes that fear of yeast I can so understand. But it feels great to tackle that doesn’t it? Especially when one is rewarded with such great results like this focaccia!
Gorgeous! Well done .Once you start baking your own, it is hard to go back to anything else.
Getting over a fear of yeast is awesome – I finally did when I made homemade pizza crust! This looks delicious!
Sigh…. Why yes, I WILL take a loaf, thank you!
I am in love with bread…i could eat it anytime, anywhere!! This recipe looks dangerously good!!
Me and yeast are enemies, so I have yet to bake a successful bread! Soon, soon, I will conquer yeast goodies! Yours look perfect!
Mmmmm! Way to go on your first bread! My first bread I made was a thyme focaccia too! So delicious!
I’m a fan of focaccias! And this looks absolutely delicious! Gorgeous clicks :)
Hugs <3