Potato Rosemary Foccacia

Ok. Here is a post of some substance. In fact this a pretty filling bread. It was my lunch today and yesterday. In the past 24 hours I have:

- sent out one job application
- slept
- looked at my budgeting spreadsheet a million times
- booked flights to go see TP in June
- gone for a run
- gone to work
- had three beers

By the way, this bread is delicious, one of my favs, and easy to expand if you need to feed a small army, this amount will make enough for one 9x12 cookie sheet.

POTATO ROSEMARY FOCACCIA
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups mashed cooked potatoes (about 16 pounds)
1/2 Tbsp salt
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 Tbsp crumbled dried rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
10 small red potatoes (this past weekend I also made it with the little purple potatoes and they were fun)

1. You need mashed potatoes -- it doesn't matter whether they are leftovers or made specifically for this, but if you are making them for this, start them first.
2. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over ~1 1/3 cups warm (hotter than a baby bottle, not painful) water and let it proof for 5 minutes or until it is foamy.
3. In a large bowl, combine well 5 cups of the flour with the mashed potatoes and the salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Add the yeast mixture, and stir the dough until it is combined well.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it (incorporating as much of the remaining flour as necessary to prevent it from sticking) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
6. Form the dough into a ball, put it in an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk.
7. While the dough is rising, in a small bowl stir together the garlic, the rosemary, and the oil and let the mixture stand, covered.
8. Turn the dough out onto well-oiled trays, press it evenly into the trays, and let it rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 45 minutes or less, or until it is almost double in bulk.
9. Preheat the ovens to 400°F.
10. Slice the red potatoes into paper-thin slices. Arrange the slices on the dough, overlapping them, and brush them with the oil mixture, discarding the garlic (um, what? throw away garlic? invest in mints).
11. Sprinkle the focaccia with salt and pepper to taste and bake it in a preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it is golden.
12. Let the focaccia cool in the pan on a rack and serve it warm or at room temperature (keeps well for several days, though usually is eaten by then).