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Salami and tomato Focaccia

This is somewhere between a focaccia and a pizza. Lovely soft dough with sweet tomato and crispy salty saucisson sec tucked into it.

This recipe makes one big focaccia, but I normally make the full dough recipe and with half make a salami and tomato focaccia and the other half a yellow pepper and goats cheese one. Then serve with some salad for a brilliant weekend lunch, perfect for eating with friends in the garden. The only thing you have to do is plan a bit ahead to allow for rises and the bake.

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

Start to finish it’s about 2.5 hours.

This recipe will give you plenty for four to six people, the leftovers are a great treat too.

Ingredients

Bread dough

  • 500g strong bread flour
  • 400ml warm water (use cold if you are planning a slow rise throughout the day)
  • 1 pack of yeast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt

Topping

I basically make my pizza sauce base and then loosen 4 tbsp of it with olive oil.

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 carton of passata
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g salami (I use a mix of Saucisson Sec and Milano)

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl
  • Measuring jug
  • Flat tray 30×40
  • Shower cap or cling film

To make

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.

Making focaccia dough by hand

  • Weigh out the flour in the mixing bowl and add the yeast.
  • Stir through and make a well in the centre.
  • Put the oil, honey and salt in the jug.
  • Add Luke warm water to the 500ml mark and Whisk together.
  • Pour 2/3 of the wet mixture into the well in the flour and stirring in circular motions from the inside outwards combine.
  • Depending on the flour there should still be dry patches, so add more of the wet mix a splash at a time. until you create a slightly stringy rough feeling dough.
  • At this point turn out your dough onto the worktop.
  • Put some flour on your hands and you should be able to rub off any sticky bits of dough.
  • You can also use a bit of flour in the mixing bowl to get any dough off it.
  • Put back in the mixing bowl and seal bowl either with a shower cap or cling film and leave to rise.

Making focaccia dough in a mixer

  • Weigh the flour in the mixer bowl.
  • Add the yeast on one side and the salt and oil on the other.
  • Then add 2/3 of the water and mix at a slow speed using the bread hook.
  • Once absorbed add the remaining water and turn up the speed a notch and leave for 4 minutes.
  • It should now look nice and smooth, so scatter some flour on the worktop and kneed the dough for a couple of minutes to give a smooth glossy appearance.
  • Put back in the mixing bowl and seal bowl either with a shower cap or cling film and leave to rise.

To make the tomato topping

  • Chop the garlic and put in a cold pan with 1 tbsp olive oil.
  • Put on a medium heat, once it starts to bubble add the passata and turn down the heat.
  • You just need to give it 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.
  • To make the topping for the focaccia put 4 tbsp of sauce in a bowl and add 1 tbsp olive oil.

An hour before you eat

Don’t bash the air out of the dough

  • The dough should now have doubled in size.
  • Add a glug of oil to the baking tray and cover the base.
  • Scatter some more flour on the worktop and get the dough out of the bowl. It’s best to flour your hands first or it will get pretty sticky.
  • Turn out the dough and with your hands push into a rough square shape and then roll to the same size as your tin.
  • Lay the dough on the tray, if the corners don’t quite fit push them out.
  • Now pour the tomato topping mixture onto of the dough and smear all over.
  • 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
  • Then take the salami, rip each slice and tuck pieces into all the holes
  • Once finished set aside for a second rise, 30 mins.
  • After 15 mins switch your oven on 180c.
  • Put focaccia on middle shelf for 25 mins
  • It should be slightly golden, turn over and tap the bottom to check it sounds hollow.
  • Cool on wire rack for 10 mins and then serve.