Focaccia
Focaccia comes from Central Italy so any ingredients you can think of from that region are a particularly safe bet when dreaming up your toppings.
SERVES
10
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
48
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
20
MINUTES
Ingredients
7g dried fast-acting yeast
500g strong flour
5 tbsp olive oil
350ml blood temperature water
3 tsp flaky sea salt
2 shallots, sliced
sprig of rosemary
sprig of thyme
Method
Mix the yeast and flour together in a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre and add the warm water, 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 1 tsp of the salt.
Bring the dough together. It should be sticky so you may need a little extra water if it feels dry in any way.
Coat a work surface lightly in flour and turn your dough onto it. Knead for ten minutes. You can do this in a mixer with a dough hook if you prefer.
Oil a large bowl and place your dough into it. Cover it with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place so the dough doubles in size. It will take about an hour.
Slice your shallots and remove the herbs from the stalks.
Oil an ovenproof tin about 10 x 14 inch in size.
Tip the dough into the tin. Flatten it out and leave it to prove again for about a half an hour, keep it covered in a warm place.
Preheat your oven to gas mark 7.
Press your fingers into the proved dough to make will wells or indentations. Press slices of the shallots and some herbs into the wells.
Drizzle another 2 tbs of olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with the remaining sea salt.
Bake for 20 minutes in the centre of your oven, until golden on top.
Drizzle the remaining oil over the dough when it is still hot.
Remove the focaccia from the tin onto a wire rack to cool so you can cut it into chunks.
