Focaccia bread
Focaccia bread is such a versatile bread - it can be eaten on its own, as part of an antipasto platter, used a pizza base or used for sandwiches.
My favourite style of focaccia is the traditional bread, topped with olive oil and sea salt, but you can have so many more flavour combinations. As well as the plain bread, I've made cherry tomato and parmigiano cheese (parmesan), which worked well.
Here are some alternative flavour combinations and toppings;
Caramelised balsamic onions (Caramelise red onions and add a good glug of balsamic vinegar, and top on the bread before putting in the oven).
Rosemary (add some sprigs of rosemary on the bread before putting in the oven or infuse the olive oil with rosemary).
Cheese and onion (top the bread with onions and grate some mature cheddar).
Olives (remove the stones and half the olives and sprinkle on the bread before putting in the oven).
Ingredients
- 500g strong, white bread flour
- 2 sachets of dried, easy blend yeast (typically around 7g per sachet)
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt (plus extra for topping the bread)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for kneading and drizzling)
- 375ml cold water
Method
- Put flour, yeast, salt, olive oil and 275ml of the water into a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon to form a dough.
- Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl for 5-10 minutes, gradually adding the remaining water.
- Stretch* the dough by hand for five minutes in the bowl.
- Put about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on a work surface and tip the dough onto it. Knead for a further five minutes.
- Using a clean bowl, lightly grease with the extra virgin olive oil, put the dough in the bowl and cover with cling film - leave it until it has risen and doubled in size.
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Tip the dough and put on the baking sheet, pushing the dough to cover the tray. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 220c/Gas 7.
- Push the dough with your fingers to make the stereotypical holes in the bread. Drizzle the proved loaf with oil and sprinkle some sea salt on the top. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it's golden brown.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and give a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
*To stretch the dough, pull the dough up to the sides of the bowl, and push back down to the middle, turn the bowl, and keep repeating.
Where to buy?
Aldi, once again, are the cheapest!
£0.79 for a 1.5kg bag of strong, white bread flour and £0.59 for 8 sachets of yeast!
Where to buy?
Aldi, once again, are the cheapest!
£0.79 for a 1.5kg bag of strong, white bread flour and £0.59 for 8 sachets of yeast!
Simple ingredients!
The finished product!