Focaccia with Herb Oil

1. Place chopped herbs on a work surface. Roll dough in herbs and knead lightly to work in. Shape into a ball. Use about 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil to lightly oil a bowl. Place dough ball in bowl and turn once to oil surface. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 45 to 60 minutes or until dough reaches room temperature.

2. Coat a 15x10-inch baking pan with remaining olive oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to a 15x10-inch rectangle, allowing dough to rest as needed during rolling to reach size. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Cover and allow dough to stand 1 hour or until slightly puffy and a few large bubbles of air form.

3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Using an extra-sharp knife, score squares across top of dough. Brush dough with egg white mixture. Arrange herb leaves on top of dough. Brush again with egg white mixture. Brush lightly with some of the Herb Oil. Sprinkle with olives.

4. Bake 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve warm with Herb Oil for dipping. Serves 24.

Herb Oil

Blanch 4 1/2 cups fresh herb leaves, such as tarragon, parsley, thyme or lemon thyme, and/or basil, in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Blanching the herbs keeps them bright green in the oil. When completely cool, drain and squeeze herbs to remove water. Using a kitchen towel, pat herbs to dry thoroughly. In a food processor, combine blanched herbs and 1 cup neutral oil, such as avocado or canola oil. Puree until well blended. Season with salt. Makes 1 cup. Keep chilled in an airtight container up to 4 days.