Best Ever Foccacia
Crispy, oily, salty on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside perfect focaccia! If you’ve ever wanted to make your own bread, this amazing recipe kindly shared by chief David Lovett is for you. It’s easy, fool proof, delicious and a total crowd pleaser. You can keep it simple with classic toppings like cherry tomatoes and rosemary or go all out with the creativity and create a “breadscape” using herbs and vegetables. Whatever you do, I know you will love this recipe. If you’re entertaining it’s the perfect starter and accompaniment to a meal but it’s so simple you could treat yourself and make it as an everyday snack or lunch. Oh, and it happens to be vegan too!
INGREDIENTS:
350ml lukewarm water
10g dried yeast
10 g caster sugar
500g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp fine sea salt
Olive oil
Semolina for dusting
Toppings:
Cherry tomatoes, capsicum, garlic flowers, shallots, parsley, rosemary, choose your own adventure!
METHOD:
Combine 350ml lukewarm water with 10g dried yeast and 10g caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 500g sifted plain flour and 2tsp fine sea salt & mix for about 8-10minutes until a ball of sticky dough forms.
Grease a 15cm x 25cm x 3cm tray with olive oil and dust with semolina. Scrape the dough into the tray with a spatula & rub 1 Tbs of olive oil over the ball. Leave to prove (double) for 20-30minutes.
Now the easy (but very important) part. Channel your inner nonna hands, and stretch the dough to fill the tray by LIFTING it from UNDERNEATH so you’re not so much stretching as you are letting gravity pull it away from you. You want to keep as much air in it as possible, it should be soft & pillowy. Drizzle with olive oil & let it prove for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 240 degrees. Using both hands, make deep indents in the dough with your fingertips, drizzle with more oil and prove for a further 10-12 minutes.
Top with whatever ingredients you like by pressing in gently. Drizzle with more oil and set aside to prove one last time until the dough is popping over the edge of the tray.
Season generously with sea salt flakes and bake for 12-15 minutes until deep golden. Add one final drizzle of oil when it comes out of the oven, and allow to rest in tray for 5 minute before cooling on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes, then serve!
Notes:
Make sure your yeast isn’t out of date. This can be the reason for many a baking fail! If you can’t get yeast at the supermarket, ask your local bakery.