Master Bread Recipe

 Master Bread Recipe 

Yield:  one 11-by-16 pan of focaccia bread

1^st Mix (Yeast Starter)

1 ½                  cups warm water (110 degrees or AKA hot tap water)

1 tbl                active dry yeast

1/2 tsp            sugar

2^nd Mix (the rest of the bread)

4                     cups of bread Flour or all purpose flour (bread flour recommended).

1 ¼ tsp            fine sea salt (if using table salt, 1 tsp regular salt).

1 tsp               sugar

¼             cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Grab a large mixing bowl and add warm water active dry yeast and sugar together (first mix). Mix well and let mixture sit for 10 minutes and check if the water begins to slightly foam on top. (if no foam after 10-15 minutes start over or check yeast because yeast might be dead).
2. While Yeast is foaming, gather ingredients for second mix in a separate bowl. When yeast mixture is ready, add the flour, sea salt, sugar, olive oil.
3. Once 2^nd mix is added to first mix, grab a fork and slowly mix ingredients together until flour is fully incorporated and forms pieces of broken dough. Scrape sides of bowl and dump all broken dough on lightly floured cutting board.
4. Lightly flour your hands and form pieces in to one cohesive mass by lightly kneading the      dough. (See video for kneading).
5. Knead for 10 minutes by hand until glutens are developed. (dough is stretchy).
6. Place in greased bowl and wrap with plastic film so that there is a small space for air. Let rise in a warm place until double in size  (80 degrees about 1 hour). 
7. After doubled, place dough on a greased 11-by-16 inch sheet pan.
8. Pre heat oven to 450 degrees F.
9. Once dough has raised a second time (about one hour) bake at 450 degrees F for 15 min or until golden on top.  

(Video to help with bread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHjfkPf-YGc)