Mozzarella focaccia bread

My family has lived on this tasty bread all weekend! Friday as I pondered the taste I was after..... Somewhere between the cheesy goodness of a local pizzeria and the classic crunch of a focaccia sandwich I decided to experiment a little! I ended up with a soft, fluffy bread that was thick enough to slather with mayo and stuff it full of ham and turkey! Give it a try! It also went well with our creamy pesto as breadsticks!

1 3/4 cup warm water
1/4 ounce package of yeast
1 T granulated sugar
5 1/2 cups of flour
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Italian seasoning
Rosemary
1 T salt
1 cup olive oil

Start by combining the sugar, warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for at least ten minutes until it is nice and bubbly.

In a separate bowl mix 5 cups of the flour and salt. Mix in the yeast mixture then use the remaining flour to dust the counter.

Begin kneading the dough incorporating the extra flour and knead until smooth. Use some of the olive oil to oil a bowl. Place dough ball in the oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size.

Oil a baking pan and once the dough has risen divide into two equal balls. Press one of the dough balls into the pan and once flat brush with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and Italian seasoning. Be sure to poke finger holes into your dough!

Spread the mozzarella onto the top then take the second ball, press over the top of the cheese covering the bottom layer of dough. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F and let rise again. Brush with oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake until golden brown! Let cool slice and enjoy!