Instructions: More and more popular, focaccia (rhymes with "gotcha") is becoming a real American staple. It appears in the bread basket of your neighborhood eatery, even if its not an Italian restaurant.

Youll find your favorite sandwich fillings between two pieces of focaccia at the deli or takeout emporium, and great slabs of it sold in local bakeries. Its everywhere.

One of the reasons focaccia has become so popular in restaurants and bakeries is also what makes it very feasible for home baking. No matter how you slice it, focaccia is easy to make. Mainly composed of flour, water, yeast and salt with a little olive oil added for flavor and texture, the dough just needs to be stirred together.

Theres no kneading, beating or dirtying machines or counter tops.

Everything happens in a plain old mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Like pizza, focaccia usually has a topping. It can be as simple as a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse salt or as elaborate as roasted peppers and goat cheese, or caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes, or even fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Sound suspiciously like a pizza?

The main difference between a focaccia and a pizza, though, lies in when its eaten, not whats on it. Usually, pizza is eaten straight from the oven; focaccia is eaten at room temperature and at any time during the day that it is baked. Focaccia usually has a little less topping than a pizza.

The recipe for basic focaccia (which see) is meant to be used more as a bread than a base for elaborate toppings. Its great when cut into thick, finger-size pieces to serve as bread to accompany a meal. When cut into squares and split through the middle, it makes a great sandwich bread.

The recipe for focaccia With toppings (which see) makes a slightly thinner dough base that works well with a heavier topping.

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