Rosemary, Garlic and Sea Salt Focaccia Bread

A Lazy Sunday Baking Project…

Focaccia bread is one of my guilty pleasures. It’s utterly delicious and something I always gravitate towards when we’re eating Italian food. I’ve always wondered if this was a hard thing to create, so during this time where I’ve become more domestic, I decided to do my research and give it a go! I found this amazing recipe by John Whaite in his latest cookbook. It’s super simple to follow, however, I tweaked the toppings to suit my tastebuds.

This recipe is one to start in the morning. The proving process is going to take a while, so be prepared to put this recipe down and come back to it throughout the day. Perfect to start and prep ready to cook in the evening so it’s nice and warm for your meal. Here’s my take on making focaccia bread…

INGREDIENTS.

500g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
14g fast-acting dried yeast
50ml olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
handful of rosemary
sea salt, coarse

FOCACCIA BREAD RECIPE.

In a large bowl, mix together the bread flour with a large pinch of salt and yeast. Add 400ml of warm water with 50ml good olive oil bringing it together to a sticky dough. You can do this in a mixer or, like me, if you don’t own one by hand. Once mixed, knead the dough until it’s fine and smooth.

Once the dough is kneaded to perfection, coat with a little olive oil and leave to rest in the bowl covered with a tea towel in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has tripled in size. Once the dough has risen, oil a medium, deep-sided roasting tray and gently tip the dough into it. Lightly spread the dough into the corners. Cover up again and allow it to rise once more in a warm spot, again usually for an hour or double in size.

Preheat the oven to 220C. Once the dough has risen, use your first and middle finger to poke holes into the dough, making sure you touch the bottom of the tray. Coat your fingers in flour first. Chop your garlic into fine pieces and place into the dough, giving them a gentle push down. Flake rosemary leaves onto the dough. Add a few sprigs for extra measure. Sprinkle a generous helping of sea salt and cook in the oven for 25- 30 minutes until it’s golden brown and crispy. Allow the focaccia bread to cool slightly before serving.