What is Midrash?

Midrash is an interpretive act, seeking the answers to religious questions (both practical and theological) by plumbing the meaning of the words of the Torah. (In the Bible, the root d-r-sh [דרשׁ] is used to mean inquiring into any matter, including occasionally to seek out God’s word.) Midrash responds to contemporary problems and crafts new stories, making connections between new Jewish realities and the unchanging biblical text. (My Jewish Learning)

Herbed Focaccia Bread: (The connection to an herbed focaccia bread as a midrash of Beruriah is by Helene Jawhara Piner)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
• 2 cups warm tap water
• 1 teaspoon soft butter for greasing pan
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• Italian seasoning or finely chopped fresh herbs- including parsley (a reminder of the tears she shed during the attacks on her and the deaths of her sons)
• candied tomatoes (to represent that even if simple suffices, we can always go further)
• "Spirnkles" of zaatar or olives to complete the dish like the pearls on the bread whose "worth is far beyond that of rubies" (proverbs 3:10)
• flaky sea salt 

Prepare the dough:

1. In a medium-large bowl, combine flour, salt, and instant yeast. Stir well. Add the warm water. Using a Danish Whisk, sturdy wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, mix until all of the flour is well incorporated (there should be no small pockets of flour. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each pan. Divide dough in half with a large spoon or rubber spatula and place one piece of dough in each pan, turning to coat with oil. Tuck edges of dough underneath to form a rough ball.

3. Cover each pan tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough balls to rest for 2 hours (it may take as long as 3 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen). The dough should cover most of the pan.

4. Preheat oven to 450˚F with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.

5. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. With oiled fingers, using both hands, press straight down and create deep dimples that go all the way through the dough (in other words, you'll actually be making deep holes.) If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan.

6. Sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs) and flaky sea salt.

7. Bake:

8. Transfer the pans to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425˚F. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides are crisp. Remove pans from the oven. With a metal spatula remove bread rounds from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack.