Mmmm, this Italian bread fills the kitchen with a scent of olive oil and rosemary. It tastes best warm and it disappears in minutes. It gets hard quite quickly, so it’s best served straight away. You can serve it as a side dish, or thanks to its full-on flavour you can treat it as a main meal with some olive oil drizzling and lettuce and tomato salad.
Makes 1 loaf
400g white bread flour
2.5ml / 0.5tsp salt
7g dried yeast
30ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
About 250ml / 1 cup warm water
Fresh rosemary sprigs for the topping
2 tbsp rock salt for the topping
Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre and add 15ml / 1 tbsp of the oil and half of the water.
Mix, gradually, incorporating the flour and adding more water to make the soft dough. Try to use all the water, as this way the bread will be softer.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes.
Return to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a lightly oiled clear film and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Place the dough on an oiled baking sheet and pat out to form an oval.
Cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190 C / gas mark 5.
Take off the clear film. Make a few dimples at regular intervals in the surface of the dough with lightly floured fingers.
Place rosemary sprigs in the dimples, drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the salt.
Bake for 30 minutes, until pale gold. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Note: if, after 30 minutes, the loaf is still unbaked on the bottom, turn the loaf upside down and bake for further 10-15 minutes until it’s brown and nicely baked throughout.
Remove bigger rosemary sprigs and excessive salt before serving.
Serve freshly baked, warm focaccia.
Bon appétit!
Lena x
