Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

This bread is actually super simple to make – all you need are a few ingredients and a bit of time

Of all the things which I enjoy baking, bread seems to be the one that intimidates me the most. It feels like so much of it is left to chance – the amount of yeast used, the ambient temperature of the space, the amount of live yeast culture in the atmosphere – I could go on. I also feel like bread making is very time consuming and requires a lot of muscle in kneading the dough (my frame of reference was a three day sourdough-making process during lockdown). I was therefore very happy to learn that focaccia-making circumvents all of these challenges.

The list of ingredients are few and simple. What this implies is that the best quality ingredients are required to produce a really special focaccia. A good quality extra-virgin olive oil really makes all the difference, as focaccia craves olive oil. It is also important to have sufficient oil at the bottom of the pan, so that the bread fries and crisps well. Also, don’t be alarmed by the salt in the recipe. To produce a well-flavoured focaccia, salt is essential.

Finally, there is so much that one can do in terms of toppings. I have chosen to keep it relatively simple with rosemary and sea salt. I do find a little sprinkling of everything bagel seasoning, with the onion and garlic granules really adds an additional punch of flavour. Make sure that your rosemary is oiled before adding to the focaccia, so that it does not burn in the oven.

Coincidentally, I did not realise that this bake is plant-based as well (if you make a swap of the honey), so is a great bread to have in your repertoire. The focaccia is best enjoyed on the day it is made, but can be stored in an airtight container for around two days. After this time, the bread begins to get stale.

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FOR THE ROSEMARY AND SEA SALT FOCACCIA

• 250g “00” flour
• 300g white bread flour
• 8g instant yeast
• 2 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)
• 560ml body temperature water

* If you cannot find “00” flour, then simply use white bread flour. Reduce the water to 550ml, however.

• 90ml olive oil, for greasing and dimpling
• olives
• fleur de sel
• everything bagel seasoning
• rosemary

METHOD

1. Begin by dissolving the yeast into the warm water (ensure that the water is not too warm or it could damage the yeast, or worse kill it).
2. Then add in the honey, tablespoon of olive oil and salt. Mix to combine.
3. Finally, add in both the flours and mix through. The dough will be quite wet, but that is normal.
4. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. The perform the first series of stretch and folds. To do this, wet your hand and tuck it under the dough and grab one of the four “corners”. Simply tug it up and then fold the dough over itself, ending at the opposite end. Repeat this step four times in total, on each of the corners.
6. Wait 30 minutes, and then do the stretch and folds for a second time. Then, waiting 30 minutes again and do one final set of stretch and folds.
7. After the final stretch and fold is done, let it rest for thirty minutes and do a coil fold. To do this, simply wet both hands and grab onto each corner of the dough. Gently lift it up, pulling it slightly like the stretch and folds. Tuck the ends of the dough underneath to form a boule, then repeat the process on the other two ends.
8. Prepare a 22cm by 33cm rectangular tin, with high sides, by lining the base and sides (it is important to oil the sides) with baking paper.
9. Once lined, drizzle 50ml olive oil on the lined base and spread it out over the entire tray.
10. Tip the dough into the tin and do a book fold. To do this, take 1/3 of the breadth of the dough and fold it 2/3rds of the way onto itself. Then take the other breadth of the dough and fold it over the first fold, like a book. Finally flip the dough over so the seam side is down.
11. Drizzle some olive oil onto the dough and rub all over, then cover the tin with another tray and set aside to proof for about an hour to an hour and a half.
12. When ready to bake, place the rack in the lower shelf of the oven. Place an extra baking tray upside down to prevent-heat with the oven – this will help crisp the base. Then pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees celcius.
13. Meanwhile, stretch the dough to the sides of the tin, if it has not reached there already. The dough should be nice and jiggly. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil, and then dimple the dough by submerging your oiled fingertips into the dough. Little bubbles will begin to form.
14. Oil the rosemary sprigs and olives and remove the rosemary from the stalk and place it randomly on the dough. Then sprinkle over the everything bagel seasoning and fleur de sel (maldon is great).
15. Place the tray with the focaccia in the oven on top of the pre-heated, upside-down baking tray and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Check on the focaccia at around 20 minutes, if the top is getting too brown, cover it with foil and continue to bake.
16. Once done, remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack to cool for 20 minutes, before cutting and enjoying.

Recipe by adventureswithsugar.com