Focaccia
This focaccia recipe is easy to adapt with whatever herbs you have in the house. The dough is very wet and tricky to handle, so use a mixer fitted with a dough hook if you have one.
Method
Place the flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and 300ml/10½fl oz of the water into a large bowl. Gently stir with your hand or a wooden spoon to form a rough dough, then knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining water to form a soft, sticky dough.
Stretch the dough by hand in the bowl, tuck the sides into the centre, turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process for about 5 minutes.
Tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and continue kneading for 5 more minutes. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size (about an hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is).
Line a large baking tray (or two smaller trays) with baking paper and oil the base. Tip the dough out of the bowl onto an oiled work surface. Flatten the dough slightly (and cut into two pieces if using two baking trays). Transfer the dough to the prepared tray/s, pushing down all over using your fingers and making sure it reaches into the corners.
Leave to prove, uncovered, for a further hour.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Drizzle the loaves with oil, sprinkle with fine sea salt then push your fingers into the surface of the dough to create dimples. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden-brown. When cooked, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve hot or warm.
Recipe Tips
Try adding herbs such as rosemary or thyme, or perhaps some chopped chilli. Press them into the dough after step 5.
If you wish to top the focaccia with rosemary, just before you drizzle the loaf with olive oil, make small indentations all over the dough. Then break off small sprigs of rosemary from a couple of larger sprigs, and push them into each of the indentations.
