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Bakes Breads Focaccia Recipes Side dishes

Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia

Soft bread oozing with garlicky oil, a hit of salt and fragrant rosemary. This focaccia is dead easy to make as and tastes amazing. The actual prep will also take less time than driving to the supermarket to buy some ready made garlic bread.

Garlic and rosemary focaccia

Finally it looks brilliant served on the table next to a lasagna or steaming pot of Rigatoni with Sausage and Pepper Ragu.

This recipe is inspired by the Salt episode of Salt Fat Acid Heat. It’s not normally a taste I choose to accentuate, but it tastes so good with garlic and rosemary.

I only buy Sea Salt, due to pureness, but also when I use it I want a punchy flavour. I love it when you’re eating this dish or homemade fries and you get that sudden salt hit in a bite. I’m currently using Rock Salt from Cornish Co, which I found ok the shelves at Sainsburys… whilst looking for Paprika.

Though the actual prep time is low, you need to plan ahead to allow for rises and the bake.

15mins – mix and kneed
1hr min. First rise
10 min – kneed, shape and add topping
30 min – second rise
20 min – bake
10 min – cool

Start to finish it’s about 2.5 hours, but my normal plan is to make the dough first thing and leave to rise all day. Then the rest of it slots in around the rest of the meal prep, having a cheeky beer etc.

Recipe

Should be enough for 4 to six people. Any leftovers can be used the next day or make a great pancetta panini.

Ingredients

Bread dough

  • 400g strong bread flour
  • 1 pack of yeast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Topping

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp rock salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl
  • Measuring jug
  • Flat tray 20×30
  • Pestle and mortar
  • Shower cap or cling film

Before you start you are going to need space to kneed the dough on a worktop. I normally pour a small pile of flour there in preparation.

This is also one of the few times I wear an apron in the kitchen…. flour gets everywhere.

Stage 1

  1. Weigh out the flour in the mixing bowl and add the yeast.
  2. Stir through and make a well in the centre.
  3. Put the oil, honey and salt in the jug.
  4. Add Luke warm water to the 500ml mark and Whisk together.
  5. Pour 2/3 of the wet mixture into the well in the flour and stirring in circular motions from the inside outwards combine.
  6. Depending on the flour there should still be dry patches, so add more of the wet mix a splash at a time.
  7. By adding a splash and combining you should create a slightly stringy rough feeling dough.
  8. At this point turn out your dough onto the worktop.
  9. Put some flour on your hands and you should be able to rub off any sticky bits of dough.
  10. You can also use a bit of flour in the mixing bowl to get any dough off it.
  11. Scatter some flour on the worktop and kneed the dough until it starts to resist, it should have a smooth glossy appearance.
  12. Put back in the mixing bowl and seal bowl either with a shower cap or cling film.
  13. Now go and enjoy your day or if short on time start prepping the main dish.

Stage 2

  1. Put the salt and peeled garlic cloves in the pestle and smash into a paste. Then add rosemary leaves and smash a bit more.
  2. Once you have a rough paste add the olive oil and combine. Put to one side.
  3. The dough should now have doubled in size.
  4. Add a glug of oil to the baking tray and cover the base.
  5. Scatter some more flour on the worktop and get the dough out of the bowl. It’s best to flout your hands first or it will get pretty sticky.
  6. Bash the dough to breakdown the air pockets and quickly kneed again.
  7. With your hands push onto a rough square shape and then roll to the same size as your tin.
  8. Lay the dough on the tray, if the corners don’t quite fit push them out.
  9. Now pour the topping mixture onto of the dough and smear all over.
  10. Using two fingers make holes all over the dough, pushing down so you finger tips hit the tray. This will push the flavours into the pockets
  11. Once finished set aside for a second rise, 30 mins.
  12. After 15 mins switch your oven on 180c.
  13. Put focaccia on middle shelf for 20mins
  14. It should be slightly golden, turn over and tap the bottom to check it sounds hollow.
  15. Cool on wire rack for 10 mins and then serve.

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Salt Fat Acid Heat
Focaccia