Vegan Vegetable Focaccia Bread

I have been so hungry for Vegetable Focaccia, so I made my organic, whole wheat version...yummy! 

Vegan Vegetable Focaccia Bread (Makes 13 x 9 inch focaccia)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (preferably fine grind)
1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 + 1/8 tsp dry yeast
1 cup + 1 Tbsp water (room temperature)
3/4 tsp agave nectar
3/4 Tbsp olive oil

For Olive oil/Vegetable topping


2 Sweet red peppers sliced into sixths
1 Sweet green peppers sliced into sixths
6 Cloves garlic
1 cup Sliced onions

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp sea salt


For final drizzle
1/8 cup of olive oil

Method

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, yeast, water and agave nectar for about 2 mins.The dough will be sticky, but smooth. Add olive oil to the dough and mix for another 15 sec. Let the dough rest, uncovered for 5 mins and then mix again for 2 mins. If the dough is too wet, add a small amount of flour.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and add 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to grease the parchment paper including the side walls. Place the dough on the sheet pan. Rub the top of the dough with 1 tsp of olive oil. Flatten the dough using the palms of your hands. The dough might not cover the entire pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

Evenly spread vegetables out on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F.  Bake until the peppers' skin begins to blister.  Remove from heat and place into a glass bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set for 5 minutes.  Remove the skin of the peppers.  I ate the skin as I peeled. :)  

Place vegetables into a saucepan.  Pour the remaining ingredients for the topping over the roasted vegetables and cook over medium heat for 3 mins.  Let cool and refrigerate. 

The next day remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit out for 4 hours. While the dough is resting, pour 1/4 cup of olive oil in a pan. Add all the dried herbs mentioned in the ingredients. Heat the oil for 3 mins. Let the vegetable/oil mixture sit at room temperature.

Remove the plastic wrap covering the dough and drizzle 1 tsp of olive over it (not vegetables). Using your fingertips, starting in the middle, press the dough so as to fill out the pan. The pressed dough may still not fill the pan. Loosely cover the pan and let it sit for 20 mins. Repeat this procedure again (not vegetables). The third time, pour the herbed oil/vegetables over the dough using your fingertips again press the dough. You will see air pockets as you press. This time the dough should fill most of the pan. Cover the pan and let the dough sit for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven at 500 degrees F. Add sea salt and drizzle an additional 1/8 cup of olive oil on top of the dough and place it in the oven. Reduce the oven temperatutre to 450 degrees F and bake for 15 mins. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and let it bake for another 11 mins.  Keep a close eye on the bread, as each oven varies in temperature.  The bread will not be as tasty if overdone.  :)

Remove it from the oven and let focaccia cool on a wire rack. After 10 mins. slice it and serve with some olive oil.