Side
vegetarian
Focaccia Art
Do your kids love cooking and making art? This focaccia art project will challenge your artsy young chefs while being easy enough to introduce kids as young as two to the joys of homemade dough. And who doesn’t love the soft, pillowy texture of fresh focaccia?
Pair this beautiful bread with homemade hummus and chopped veggies for a crowd pleasing and beautiful snack. I am sure you’ll have fun making this and eating it with your family.
90 mins
SERVES 4-6
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil (to coat the baking sheet)
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil (this goes in the dough)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Options:
Top with dried herbs, grated cheese, garlic, or fresh veggies to create a beautiful design. Cherry tomatoes, colorful peppers, and parsley stems are perfect!
DIRECTIONS
Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and spread around a 9 x 13 baking sheet or shallow baking pan.
Combine all of the ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, blend the dough until it is well combined (for about 3-5 minutes). The dough will be quite sticky.
Scoop the dough into the prepared pan, cover the pan with a clean towel, and let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes — it should puff up a bit.
Meanwhile, chop veggies and get out seasonings for your “art piece.”
Once the dough has had a little time to rest you can preheat the oven to 375°F and decorate your bread. Make a landscape! Create a beautiful pattern or be abstract.
After your masterpiece is complete, drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with dried herbs, garlic powder, grated cheese, or any other seasonings you like.
Bake the bread until it's golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes and remove from the pan and slice. Voila!
COOKING TOGETHER
KIDS CAN:
- Measure ingredients
- Make the dough and knead it
- Oil the pan
- Pat the dough into the pan and decorate it
GROWN-UPS CAN:
- Initiate a conversation about how we eat with all 5 of our senses: What is a food that you “hear” before you eat it? (For example, popcorn or stir fry.) What smells come from the kitchen that make you feel hungry? What foods are so beautiful to look at that you want to try them? What foods feel good to touch? (Think soft peaches or squishy bread.)
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