Focaccia is a great place to start when making bread. It is hands-on but very quick and tasty. Adding oil to the white dough makes the finished loaf silky soft, and the semolina gives it a more rustic edge. You can finish your dough with anything from tomatoes, rosemary, and roasted garlic to olives, or even salami. Some people like to push these ingredients into the dough, but I think that stops the aeration so I leave mine on top.
SERVES: 6–8
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups br
- ead flour
- 1 heaping Tbsp coarse semolina
- Two ¼-ounce packets active dry yeast
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus a little extra
- ½ cup pitted black olives, sliced
- 5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
- 2–3 rosemary sprigs, leaves only
INSTRUCTIONS:
- MIX THE DOUGH:
- Thoroughly mix the flour, semolina, and yeast with a couple of generous pinches of salt.
- Mix 1½ cups warm water with the olive oil.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and gradually add the liquid.
- Use a fork to start with and then use your hands to make it into a ball.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and springy to the touch.
- LET IT RISE:
- Place the dough in a large floured mixing bowl and leave to rise in a warm place for 30–60 minutes until doubled in size.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- PREPARE THE DOUGH:
- Place the risen dough on an oiled baking sheet (about 8 x 12 inches) and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Grease your fingers with a little olive oil and prod out the dough to the edges of the sheet.
- ADD TOPPINGS:
- Press the olives and tomatoes into the dough so that they are slightly poking above the surface.
- Season with salt and pepper and scatter over the rosemary leaves.
- BAKE THE BREAD:
- Drizzle the bread with a little extra olive oil and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- SERVE:
- Turn out of the sheet, then transfer to a board, slice, and serve.
