I didn't have a lot of 'High Grade' flour so decided to halve the quantities but those calculations must have used up all my brain cells as I was busy kneading the dough before I realised that I hadn't added the oil. No wonder it was hard adding all the flour. I drizzled the oil over the dough as I kneaded and kept my fingers crossed that it would work. The dough seemed to rise fine over the next 1½ hours, then got punched down and split into 5 rolls. Another wee rising time, then into the oven - mine only has fanbake so I dropped the temperature to about 180°C and baked them for 20 minutes.
Here's the results...
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| Fresh out of the oven |
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| Looks like bread!! |
FOCACCIA BREAD
1 tsp honey or sugar
2 cups lukewarm water4 tsp dried yeast
5 cups of flour (wholemeal, white or mixed) - I used Pams high grade flour
1 tsp salt (can be left out or reduced if you want)
¼ cup olive oil (I used extra light but may try ordinary next time)
1. Combine
honey/sugar with the warm water and sprinkle the yeast on top
2. Leave
5-10 minutes until the yeast froths
3. Mix
3 cups of flour (sifted) with the salt in a large bowl
4. Add
the yeast mixture and the olive oil and beat well for about 3 minutes, then
gradually add the remaining sifted flour
5. Knead
the dough on a floured board for about 10 minutes until it is silky, springy
and elastic
6. Lightly
oil the bowl and leave the dough in it, covered with a cloth dampened with warm
water, in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1½ hours)
7. Knock
it back using your fist and roughly shape it into rounds, loaves or rolls
8. You
can use the tips of your fingers to dimple the top of the focaccia (make
identations). Drizzle with olive oil, turning the pan carefully to allow the
olive oil to soak into the identations
9. Sprinkle
sea salt and the herbs and toppings of your choice, eg chopped rosemary,
oregano, thyme, sage, sun-dried tomatoes, olives
10. Place
it on an oiled oven tray or round cake pan, cover with the re-dampened cloth,
and leave for 30 minutes in your warm place to rise again
11. Preheat
the oven to 200°C and bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the
loaf) until crisp and lightly brown
12. Remove
from the oven and serve warm
I cooked mine on fanbake at 180°C for 20 minutes
Tips for making great focaccia
·
Use a round cake pan
·
Allow dough to rise in the tin it will be baked
in (which keeps air in the dough) – prob doesn’t apply if making rolls
·
Pour a 3-6mm layer of olive oil in the base of
the pan (this gives flavour, moistness and crunch) – I drizzled a bit of oil
in the tray but nothing like 3mm
·
Topping ideas: Mozzarella cheese, garlic, tomato
and fresh basil
·
Finely chopped thyme, sage, rosemary and oregano
can be brushed on top or included in the loaf – or you could add seeds:
cardamom, sesame, caraway
Garlic and parsley focaccia bread – a great way to
freshen up a day-old focaccia loaf
I focaccia loaf100g butter, at room temperature
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
4 Tbsp of either curled or Italian flat parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat
oven to 180°C
2. Cut
the focaccia bread into 2cm thick slices and place on an oven tray
3. Beat
together the other ingredients in a bowl until well combined
4. Liberally
coat one side of the bread with the butter mixture
5. Bake
for about 10-15 minutes until golden
6. Devour
as soon as cool enough to handle!
Recipe courtesy of New Zealand Lifestyle Block magazine,
March 2013
