Last week we went to an all day cooking class at an old monastery called Badia a Coltibuono, Abbey of Good Harvest.  Now a private estate and B&B this converted abbey dates back to to the eleventh century when it was occupied by Tuscan monks who began cultivating wine around 1051. The monastery is breathtaking and our cooking class was a little slice of Italian heaven.  

Upon arriving we sipped on elderflower water and gawked at the rustic kitchen clad with copper pots and huge marble counter tops. Out the side window was a magnificant garden overflowing with lavender and hydrangeas with, of course, an outstanding vegetable garden that would cause any green thumb to be envious.

We were introduced to our witty and delightful instructor, Guido, who's family owns the monastery. He quickly satisfied our curiosity by telling us what we were going to be cooking and later eating:

Antipasti:  Freshly Baked Focaccia

Primi:  Gnocchi with Tomato and Oven Baked Ricotta

Secondi: Roasted Veal wrapped in Bacon

Dolci: Peaches with Zabaion Cream and Amaretti

We had such a blast!  It was so exciting to be cooking things I always thought were too techinical and tricky yet where so easy. And if I have learned one thing about the Italians it is that they keep things simple. They don't complicate dishes with twenty different ingredients and they don't overwhelm you with too many spices and sauces. They keep it fresh, easy and delicious! Thank you Guido for broadening my cooking horizon and giving my family and I confidence to try new things! It was a memorable and magical day!

I will share all that I learned in my class but first I would like to pass on the Focaccia recipe which also serves as pizza dough. It's a two in one! Focaccia is so easy and requires very little time to make, plus there are hundreds of ways to top it whether it be olives, fresh rosemary, or just a dash of sea salt. Regardless of how you dress it, this light and fluffy bread is sure to satisfy the inner Italian in all of us!

Focaccia

• 1 package of dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 5 cups bread flour
• 4-6 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 tsp salt
• various garnishes such as herbs, flavored salt or vegetables

* Please note that this makes enough for about 3 various sized loafs. When I made this I made two round focaccia and one rectangular, but I was making this for my family! If you are making this for a crowd bake it as is. If you are making this for just a couple of people you can halve the recipe if you prefer.  

Dissolve yeast in water for 10 minutes. Pour flour into a large bowl. Add water and yeast, stirring in a circular motion with a fork until a dough is formed.  If it looks too soupy keep adding flour (it is hard to determine exactly how much flour to use because each type of flour absorbs water differently).

Flour the work surface and knead for about a minute, adding flour as needed until the dough barely sticks to your hands.  Form dough into a ball, flour a bowl, and place the dough into the bowl. Coat dough with olive oil and sprinkle with flour and set aside on the counter. Let dough rise until it has doubled, this can take anywhere to 30 minutes to an hour depending on the warmth of your kitchen. If you don’t have time to rise the dough on the counter you can put it in the oven with VERY low heat.

Once your dough has doubled cut dough into three sections and spread on a generously oiled baking trays in any shape you prefer until it is about ½-1 inch thick. So at this point you will have three medium sized focaccia on three different pans. Let the dough rise again for about 15 minutes.

Brush dough with a generous amount of olive oil, dust with salt, and add toppings such as rosemary, olives, or tomatoes. Dimple surface with your fingers and bake in a preheated oven at 450 F for about 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool and serve.

Enjoy!