FOCACCIA

What an absolutely lovely, rustic and charming bread you are, mighty Focaccia!

Guys, you seriously can not top the smell and the taste of this simple & delicious, fresh homemade Italian bread!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Focaccia, it is an Italian oven baked bread, consisting of a yeasty high gluten dough. Usually topped with lots of olive oil, rock salt, and rosemary, marrying these flavours will amp up the crispy crusty exterior, while also complimenting the magnificent fluffy inside which is characteristic for a Focaccia.

Toppings can vary from cheese, potatoes, onions & garlic - to tomatoes, olives, and various herbs such as; basil, thyme, and rosemary. With a similar dough to pizza - I grant that it's not fast, but hey - some things just need time, and a little bit of love!

The good thing about Focaccia is that you can leave the dough to rise overnight in the fridge. Normally you would mix the dough, kneed it, let it rest for 45 minutes to an hour (until it doubles in size), shape & flavour, rest again for 30 - 40 minutes, and then finally bake! So in theory, you "kneed" a whole morning / afternoon away.

I found it easier to prepare and leave the dough in the fridge, until I'm ready (or I have the time) to bake it!

Choose your own methods & toppings friends, I'm just giving you various options!

But seriously, DO TRY and make this, it's a perfect way to start baking bread.

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INGREDIENTS

• 500g strong bread flour

• 7g instant yeast (one sachet)

• 325 ml lukewarm water

• olive oil

• 7 - 10 cherry tomatoes

• 4 - 5 garlic cloves

• 2 - 3 fresh rosemary sprigs

• 7 - 10 Kalamata olives

• 10 - 15 g semolina / polenta

• rock sea salt

Let's start out by activating the yeast. Place it in a glass or bowl, and pour your

lukewarm water over it, while giving it a mix with a fork. As I explained previously, the temperature of the water is crucial - not to cold, not to warm, around body temp.

Leave the mixture aside for the yeast to activate - for around 5 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, weigh out your flour in a big bowl. Add in a swirl of olive oil, and some rock salt. This one is all about "the feeling" guys. Just eyeball it. That's what Italian cuisine is all about. What I can tell you, and what I actually recommend, is to add less first - then follow up with more if needed (since you can always add, but never take away - right?)

Once your water and yeast mixture is foamy on top, add it to the flour, then mix to incorporate with a spoon.

When you begin to forming something that looks like a dough - and the spoon is of no longer use, transfer it on a floured surface, and begin to kneed.

Kneeding is a process of pushing and folding and rolling the dough outwards and backwards into itself. This helps to stretch out the gluten strands (proteins in our flour) which create these almost web like threads inside of the dough. You'll notice that the more you kneed the dough, the more gluten you develop, which results in a smooth, stretchy, and almost bouncy dough. This should take you anywhere in between 7 - 15 minutes.

A very good way of releasing some steam that you got built up, haha!

What this will essentially do, is change the texture of your bread entirely.

While proofing, the gas which is produced by the yeast will get trapped inside of these almost elastic gluten strands, resulting in a light and spongy Focaccia.

Once your dough is smooth and stretchy, return it into a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Leave it to proof in a warm, draft-free place for anywhere between 45 minutes to one hour.

You can also cover the top of the dough with a little bit of olive oil, so that you don't get that crusty top once it's done proofing. Also - this is the point where you choose whether you want to proof it for an hour, or in the fridge overnight. If you choose the fridge, cover with plastic wrap, and don't leave it in more then 12 - 20 hours.

Here's how mine looked like after spending the night in the fridge!

When the dough has doubled in size, prepare your toppings, and a baking tray.

Lightly flour your surface, then tip out your dough. Gently pull out the corners and sides to form a rectangular shape. Don't be tempted to punch out the dough, or to use a rolling pin, since this is gonna knock out all the air that got trapped inside of the dough (which we want) !

Sprinkle some semolina/polenta and rock salt in your oven tray. This will give the Focaccia texture, and season it at the same time. Follow up with a swirl of olive oil, then lay the dough inside the tray. At this point, you want to use the tips of your fingers to create those characteristic dimples that a Focaccia holds. Use all 10 fingers to poke out as much little holes as you can. Arrange your toppings into the holes, and finish off with more rock salt, and a swirl of olive oil.

Cover with a warm damp kitchen towel, and let it proof once more before baking, for approximately 35 - 40 minutes. Bake in a hot oven, 200°C to be more exact, for anywhere between 30 - 35 minutes, or until you have a lovely golden brown crust formed on the top!

Let it cool down for a minute, and serve while it's still warm!

Dip it in some Extra Virgin olive oil or Balsamic vinegar for the extra finese, and be prepared to feel like you're in Italy. I swear, that's what I felt like.

Hope you enjoy this one guys,

x, Lora