Blueberry Rosemary Focaccia

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Blueberry Rosemary Focacccia

Blueberry Rosemary Focaccia

Do you remember waaaay back, to the first Fiesta Friday Challenge, when Angie dared us to make something with yeast and herbs? Well, I think that many of the participants, me included, got the yeast bug! After our challenge, (see my entry here) I vowed that I would learn how to make bread, and since then I have been busily experimenting with pizza dough and other yeasty concoctions, some successful and others, not. I made today’s focaccia in the height of this year’s very long blueberry season, and was so tickled with the results. Not only was it really pretty, but I discovered that juicy, oven roasted blueberries and fresh, herbaceous rosemary, make a luxurious topping for focaccia. Dust the finished product with some flaked salt, such as Maldon and every bite is a little bit of heaven.

I am proudly bringing a large pan of my bread over to my buddies at this week’s Fiesta Friday. Many of them participated in the challenge and will remember the excitement of presenting our recipes to the judges. Well, today there are no judges, but the excitement of showing off my creation is still there. I hope you all like it! For any of you who haven’t discovered Angie and The Novice Gardener yet, well where the heck have you been? Please pop by and join in the fun!

I found this recipe in the June 2014 issue of Sunset Magazine.

You can make this any time of year, with frozen blueberries.

You can make this any time of year, with frozen blueberries.

Blueberry Rosemary Focaccia

  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

Ingredients:

1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 cup milk, at room temperature

9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus ½ teaspoon flaked salt, such as Maldon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, divided

about 6 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups blueberries (you can use individually frozen or fresh)

1 tablespoon coarse or regular granulated sugar

Method:

Put yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) and pour 1 cup of warm water (90° to 105°) on top. Let sit until yeast dissolves and is bubbling, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add milk, ¼ cup olive oil, kosher salt and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Attach dough hook and with mixer on low, gradually blend in 6 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. If necessary, add about 2 tablespoons more flour until it’s only slightly tacky. (Or knead by hand: Stir in 5 ¾ cups flour with a spoon, then knead on a work surface, adding flour as required to prevent sticking.)

Cover dough in bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled. 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. Oil a 12 by 17 inch rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Punch down dough and transfer to a baking sheet. Use your hands to push it into an even layer. Cover loosely and let it rise until puffy, about 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°.

With your fingers, poke holes in the dough 1 to 2 inches apart, straight down into the risen dough. Drizzle dough with 2 tablespoons oil. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary and the sugar and sprinkle on top.

Bake until golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with flaked salt. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Loosen focaccia with a wide spatula and slide onto a work surface. Cut into pieces about 3 inches by 4 inches. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Finish with a bit of flaked salt, such as Maldon.

Finish with a bit of flaked salt, such as Maldon.

66 Responses to “Blueberry Rosemary Focaccia”

  3. Hilda

    I imagine the aroma in your kitchen must have been something too. Happy FF and have a lovely weekend.

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Oh it was pretty amazing! Nothing like blueberries baking, but then add the rosemary, and I thought I was in heaven! Hope you have a great week, Hilda! 😀

      Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Me neither until I saw it in this magazine! But I found out from a chef friend of mine that this is quite the tradition in parts of France at certain times of the year. Thanks so much for stopping by! 😀

      Reply
  12. Kaila511

    I almost forgot about that Fiesta Friday challenge, but I’m glad to see that you’ve been perfecting those bread skills. Thanks for sharing! Happy FF, and have a wonderful weekend. 🙂

    Reply
  13. strictlydelicious

    Ooo what a brilliant flavor combination! Blueberries and rosemary with gorgeous flaky sea salt. I love it! So glad you still have “the yeast bug.” 🙂 Also, I might be late, but I love your new blog header!

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Oh, thanks, Lina! I am still so happy with the header! She is an amazing artist. Yup, I hope to keep working on yeast recipes and some day to be as good at it as my grandmother was! I have a long, long way to go! Have a great week!

      Reply
  14. Loretta

    Just wonderful Juliana, welcome to Fiesta Friday and thank you for bringing your focaccia bread. The flavors sound just amazing, I love the idea of blueberries with rosemary, I can only imagine what it must be like. Quite wonderful I daresay! Enjoy your weekend.

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Hey Loretta! Thanks so much for co-hosting this week! You know how much we all appreciate what the co-hosts do! Really glad you like the look of the focaccia 😀

      Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Oh, thanks so much Michelle. I also wanted to let you know that I would love to “like” and comment on your many awesome recipes, but for whatever reason, the option never appears on my screen. But I really admire your recipes from this week! So gorgeous! 😀

      Reply
  16. The Novice Gardener

    Ooh, this would have won the berry challenge! Of course I never put up that challenge. Don’t know what happened. Catherine and I talked about it but then we both got busy. I need to get organized, big time. A few rumblings out there about why I haven’t organized another challenge. I need to get busy! Any suggestion and/or help would be appreciated. 😉

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Ohhh, a berry challenge would have been fun! Totally understand about getting too busy, though! You know that I would help you out with a challenge, Angie! We could do some ingredients all related to a holiday theme… In November and December people are cooking up a storm, so they could fire off their recipes into the challenge… I will give this a bit more thought… 🙂

      Reply
  20. spiceinthecity

    Wow Julianna, what a gorgeous focaccia!! I really love the combination of blueberries and rosemary, how unusual, yet must work so well together!! Brilliant, as always 🙂 xx

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Me neither until I saw the recipe! But I was so excited when I saw it because it was blueberry and rosemary season! REally glad that you like the look of it! Have a wonderful week! 🙂

      Reply
  24. petra08

    This looks amazing. Blueberries and rosemary sounds so interesting. I almost never bake but this looks too delicious to pass on, recipe saved. 🙂

    Reply
  25. chefjulianna

    Well, me too Petra! I really haven’t baked for years, but since I have started this blog, I have been doing a bit more baking. I think it comes from all of the amazing bloggers who bake. They have been inspiring me! And then I do love how baking photographs too 😉 !

    Reply
  35. Caitlin {doughing it right}

    This looks so good!! Love the combination of sweet and savory!

    Reply
  36. Geraldine

    What a unique spin on one of my fav breads. Looks so yummy Julianna. I missed this one when it was first posted, glad to read it now. 😉

    Reply

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