For this recipe you will need 1 rectangular 9 x 13 inch baking tin. Try and make your dough in this recipe 24 hours beforehand to proof slowly in the fridge overnight. This results in a light and airy focaccia which is simply divine. Grease and line your baking tin, using a generous amount of oil and some baking paper. Don’t leave this to chance as Focaccia dough is sticky and can challenge even the best quality tins!
You will need:
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 9g dried yeast
- 360-375ml lukewarm water
- 2 stems of rosemary, leaves only
- Sea salt flakes
- Oil for greasing
- Olive oil for drizzling
Let's make it:
Step 1:
Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into the stand mixer bowl, tip the yeast into a different section of the bowl away from the salt.
Step 2:
Fit the dough hook and gently mix the ingredients together.
Step 3:
Pour the majority of the water into the bowl, reserving a couple of tbsp, the stand mixer should be on a low setting ideally 2-3 until the dough forms a ball. If the mixture appears too dry and there is flour on the base of the bowl add in the remaining water and knead again for roughly 5 minutes. (If you are allowing your dough to proof slowly overnight, add 1 tbsp oil to the bottom of a large bowl. Collect the dough ball and place it into your bowl allowing it to sit on the added oil. Turn this over so the dough is coated all over in the oil. Cover with food wrap and place into your fridge to allow this to slowly rise overnight, you can leave this up to 3 days but best at 2. Remove your dough from the fridge, and push down with your finger tips to remove the majority of the air, cover with the food wrap again and leave on your worksurface to allow room temperature to be reached, proceed with step 5)
Step 4:
If you want to use your dough straight away, cover the stand mixer bowl with some food wrap and allow the dough to rest for up to 2-3 hours.
Step 5:
Once the dough has doubled generously in size, plunge your fist into the dough to remove the air, gathering the dough ball together.
Step 6:
Place the dough into your prepared tin and flatten out so it almost touches all the sides and corners.
Step 7:
Leave this to rise again, uncovered for at least 1-2 hours. The dough should now have covered the base of the tin and began to rise.
Step 8:
Pre-heat your oven to 220°C -200°C fan.
Step 9:
Make deep dimples in the surface of the bread, by pressing your fingertip down into the dough.
Step 10:
Drizzle with oil, scatter with the rosemary and generously sprinkle with the sea salt flakes.
Step 11:
Place into the hot oven and bake for approx 25 minutes until risen and golden.
Step 12:
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring out of the tin and onto a cooling rack.
Step 13:
Delicious served warm with some flavoured oil and balsamic.