Carla’s Focaccia Bread
This moreish bread takes only two hours to make and freezes beautifully. Try topping it with roasted garlic, fresh rosemary, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled courgettes or homemade pesto.
Makes 1 large loaf
Ingredients
170g lukewarm water
20g olive oil, plus more for greasing the dish or pan
1/2 tsp salt
200g plain flour
2 tsp instant yeast
Optional ingredients: roasted garlic cloves, fresh or dried herbs, pitted olives, sun-dried tomatoes, cubed medium-hard cheese
Method
- In a large mixing bowl add the warm water, 20g olive oil, salt, flour and yeast.
- Use a dough scraper to mix the ingredients together, then ‘knead’ the dough in the bowl with the dough scraper until dough is long and stringy; stir in any desired spices/herbs/cheese.
- Add enough olive oil to either a roasting dish or oven-safe frying pan to liberally coat the dish. Scrape the dough into the pan and gently press to the edges with oiled fingers; loosely cover with cling film and allow to rise for 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 200°C fan-assisted.
- Poke the risen dough with fingers to make indentations. If desired, fill indentations with additional olives, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and/or fresh herbs.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then remove from pan.
BK Tips
- Play with different herbs: woody herbs like rosemary work well, along with thyme and oregano
- Be generous in oiling your pan: this is not diet bread!
- This bread freezes well. After baking, allow the bread to come to room temperature, then wrap well with cling film and aluminium foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months, allowing it to defrost in the fridge before eating.
