Rosemary Focaccia

A chewy aromatic Italian bread sprinkled with flaky salt and herbs.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams strong bread flour
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 350 mls hot water
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons active dried yeast
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, for sprinkling
• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Bowl and hands
• Heavy baking sheet or cast iron griddle, heated in the oven

Directions:

To start off we are going to infuse some rosemary into the hot water. Measure the hot water and pop the two sprigs of rosemary into it. Leave them in there if 5-6 minutes.

Let the water cool until it is warm but no longer hot. Sprinkle over the yeast and leave until foamy. While the yeast is doing it’s thing measure the flour and salt into a large bowl. Mix the salt into the flour.

When the yeast is all frothy add the liquid to the flour. Use your hand to bring the dough together. It will be sticky and squidgy.

When the dough is reasonably mixed cover the bowl and leave the dough to hydrate for 15 minutes. Don’t skip this step.

Now moisten your hand with a little water and fold the dough. Reach under the dough and grab a handful. Pull it up and over the dough and stick it down.

Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Go around the bowl twice for a total of 8 folds. Cover the dough again and leave for 5 to 10 minutes.

Repeat the folds 2 more times making 3 rounds of folding altogether. Cover the dough and leave it in a warm place to double in size.

When the dough has risen, lightly grease a work surface with olive oil. Oil your hands as well. Gently tip the dough out onto the bench.

Divide the dough into two pieces. Using your oiled hands pat each piece out into a 9 inch round or a rectangle.

Transfer each to a piece of baking paper. Pop them onto baking sheets and leave them somewhere warm until they have doubled in height.

When they are almost risen heat the oven to 240C (465F). If you have a cast iron griddle that has a flat side – the big rectangle ones which cover two stove burners – put it in the oven to heat. If you don’t have one put the heaviest baking sheet you have into the oven.

Take each focaccia and use your fingertips to gently press dimples all over the surface.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle flaky salt and chopped rosemary leaves over the top.

Bake each for 12 minutes on the cast iron, or 15 minutes on a baking sheet. The focaccia will be well browned and crisp on top.

Transfer the focaccia to a wire rack to cool a little before serving. Tear pieces off to eat with a meal or enjoy with a glass of wine.

Cook’s Notes:

• If you don’t like rosemary, try this recipe with a generous amount of cracked pepper on top instead.
• If you are a small household like ours, halve this recipe to make a single focaccia, or if you need to feed a crowd double it. Just reheat your baking sheet or griddle between batches being baked.

 – Eat this bread the same day or freeze it, well wrapped for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven once thawed – 

Adapted from The River Cottage Bread Handbook by Daniel Stevens.

© 2017 The Winsome Baker. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.