Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia

Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia
Makes 1 loaf
This dense Italian flat bread has wonderful aroma and flavor. There's nothing better that coming home to warm house filled with the sent of freshly baked bread. The garlic is only used to top the bread and when it bakes develops a delicious nutty flavor. The coarse cornmeal will give your bread a nice crust, and the coarse salt adds a little sparkle and lots of flavor. The process might seem a little time consuming but its definitely worth it!

8 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for bowl
Coarse cornmeal for sprinkling
2 1/2 cups warm milk (110∞F)
1 package active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated

Spread 1 tablespoon oil on bottom and sides of baking pan. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pan with cornmeal; set aside. Pour 1/2 cup milk into the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 2 cups milk, flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons rosemary. Using paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until dough comes together. Change attachment to dough hook, and mix on medium high speed until dough is smooth and slightly sticky to the touch, 5 to 6 minutes : if necessary add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn out dough onto a clean surface, and knead it into a ball.

Lightly brush a large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat over to 425∞F. Punch down dough, and fold back onto itself; turn over. Re-cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Turn out dough onto prepared baking pan, and let sit 5 minutes. Stretch dough out to fully fit pan. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and set aside to rise in a warm place, 30 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap. Using your fingertips, make indentations all over the surface of the dough. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with garlic and brush evenly over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle with salt and remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary.

Bake until golden brown, rotating pan once, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the oven, and place on a wire rack, 5 to 7 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and invert focaccia onto rack. Turn focaccia right-side up; serve warm or at room temperature.