SIMPLE FOCACCIA WITH ROSEMARY
Make a simple, homemade version of this classic Italian bread. Serve rosemary focaccia alongside pasta dishes, dips, or enjoy with green salads. You can make this with different flavours.
Equipment
- A rectangular, shallow tin (25 x 35cm).
Ingredients
- 500 g strong bread flour plus extra for dusting
- 7 g dried fast action yeast
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 5 tbsp olive oil plus extra for the tin and to serve
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- ¼ small bunch of rosemary sprigs picked
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Put the yeast into one side of the flour, and the fine salt into the other side. Then mix everything together, this initial seperation prevents the salt from killing the yeast.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tbsp oil and 350-400ml lukewarm water, adding it gradually until you have a slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the water). Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough into a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.
- Oil a rectangle, shallow tin (25 x 35cm). Tip the dough onto the work surface, then stretch it to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for another 35-45 mins.
- Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Using a finger, press dimples into the dough. Place a piece of rosemary in each dimple. Then mix together 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp water and the flaky salt and drizzle over the bread.
- Bake for 20 mins until golden. Whilst the bread is still hot, drizzle over a further 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold with extra olive oil, if you like.
Notes
It is important to follow the proving times to get the rising of the dough. When you get the dough in the tin is should at least fill it halfway up the sides. The final proving stage will allow the dough to rise further.
You can change the flavouring using some of these following ideas:
Parsley and Olives - stir 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one crushed garlic clove, some chopped flat leaved parsley, together. Diced 25g black olive. Put the dimples in the dough and spread the mix over the top of the dough. Sprinkle on the olives and some flakes of sea salt.
Red Onion and Goats Cheese - stir cut in half and slice finely a small red onion into two tablespoons of olive oil and mix. Put the dimples in the dough. Crumble 75g of goats' cheese on top of the dough. Drizzle the onion and oil on the top of the dough.
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