I‘ve no doubt mentioned before that I’m not much of a baker, but this super easy focaccia was quite achievable even with my basic skill level and tasty to boot.
It’s a fun recipe to pull out on the school holidays as there are heaps of variations and kids can have a go decorating with different toppings. It’s pretty forgiving and tastes great even if it’s not perfect.
I used locally grown and milled Willgrow flour, Risen instant yeast, Regan’s Ridge Olive oil and Indian Ocean sea salt for a locavore touch.
Ingredients
• 4 cups of flour • 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast • 2 cups water
Toppings: olive oil, sea salt, rosemary plus optional veg like capsicum, kale, olives, tomatoes or thin sliced potato.
Method
Mix together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.
Add the water, gently mixing with a spatula to form dough.
Knead lightly, then place the ball of dough in a large bowl and splash with plenty of olive oil. Cover tightly with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours (up to three days is fine too!)
A few hours before you’re ready to cook, remove the dough from the fridge.
Grease the baking dish you plan to use with butter before pouring in a tablespoon of olive oil and adding the dough ball in the middle (I shaped slightly so it would fill the bowl when it expanded).
Find a warm spot and leave the dough to rise – don’t touch it again for 2 to 4 hours (until it has risen nicely).
Now for the fun part! You can simply dimple (poke your fingers almost to the bottom), then sprinkle with sea salt, rosemary and lots of olive oil. Or you can add whatever tasty toppings you like!
I used capsicum, kale and rosemary, but let your imagination go wild! Next time I want to try strawberry, feta and basil.
Bake in the oven at 220 C for 25 minutes or until golden all around. Remove focaccia from pan and place on cooling racks.
Serve with soup to make a cheap and cheerful meal, cut widthwise to make a fabulous toasted sandwich or just eat as a snack – I guarantee it wont last long on the bench!
