By Matthew Luca
I Cant help but love the feeling and aroma baking focaccia brings to the home, you can involve the whole family in the process and although it may seem to take a while its a labour of love best treated with a relaxed an non-rushed approached. This classic Italian bread is so versatile any time of year and can be served or mixed with a variety of ingredients. At Christmas I would often bake a few extra and prove them near the open fire ready for the family to arrive on Christmas day.
Ingredients
500g strong white flour plus a bit extra for dusting
75g dried yeast
4 tablespoons of olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 tablespoon of table salt
1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt
300ml warm water
Freshly chopped rosemary for sprinkling.
3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
Method
In a large mixing bowl sift in 500g of flour together with the yeast and mix.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the warm water, table salt and 4 tablespoons of olive oil and combine from the outside in and mix together until a sticky dough forms.
Lightly dust a worktop or dust another mixing bowl and knead the dough from outside to centre then press down firmly from fingers to the heel of your hand and repeat the process as many times as necessary to form an elastic type dough (10 minutes minimum).
Place the dough in a well oiled baking tray or large bowl and cover with cling film tightly and put in a warm area of the kitchen or perhaps over a radiator so that the dough begins to prove/rise for approximately 1.5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 220c (gas mark 7) and transfer the dough onto a baking tray if proved in a mixing bowl. shape the dough a little if required remembering to not press down too hard on the dough. Cover again with cling film and leave in a warm area again for a further 30 minutes.
Remove all cling film from the baking tray and sprinkle over some sea salt, Garlic and rosemary and with your finger tips lightly press down on the dough to form indentations. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Once baked remove focaccia and place on a wire rack and carefully drizzle over some olive oil to form a glaze.
Best served warm and in slices along with some Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar for dipping.
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