I adore focaccia, but I've only ever made it twice. Having tried this recipe, I'll have to be physically restrained from making it weekly. Admittedly I have the benefit of having a Kitchenaid mixer, but the recipe is very simple and has plenty of rising time in which you can toddle off and do anything you please. I was feeling a bit off colour, so I napped whilst the dough rose. This probably helped the bread tremendously as I have a terrible habit of poking and prodding at dough (or indeed, anything I cook) to see how it's getting on.
Anyway, I'm rambling again... This recipe provided me with everything a focaccia should have. A crispy, highly flavoured top (the little sprigs of rosemary deep-fried in the oil that surrounded them, which I didn't expect, and thus were very crispy and even tastier than I could ever have imagine), and a soft chewy crumb full of bubbles. Perfect. We had this with some meatballs in a thick tomato sauce and it was an absolute feast.
When making this bread, ensure that you have a lot of rosemary to hand. I went through almost two packs of rosemary from the supermarket as I made rather too many dimples on top and felt compelled to fill them all with a sprig each and also, I under-estimated how much rosemary I would need to chop to make two tablespoons worth. I do wish I had a herb garden, I'd save a fortune! Cutting back slightly on the coarse salt used for the topping would be a good idea too; there was just a smidge too much, so I'd use 1 1/2 tsp next time.
I'm not entirely sure where this recipe came from; after inspection of various bread books, its not from my collection. I think this may be another of those recipes purloined from a magazine at the hairdressers. If anyone knows who the author is, please let me know...
Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt
7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
280 ml water ( room temperature )
6-7 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
2 Tblsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra sprigs
about 500 g unbleached white bread flour
2 tsp coarse sea salt (I used Maldon)
extra flour for dusting
extra oil for greasing bowl
An oiled roasting or baking tin, about 25cm x 35cm (I used a swiss roll tin/jelly pan)
Place half the flour in a large bowl (I did this in my KitchenAid), add the salt, chopped rosemary and mix briefly. Tip in the yeast and mix well. Pour in all the water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until the flour is incorporated. If you're doing this by hand, just beat the mixture together with your hand.
Gradually work in, spoonful by spoonful, enough of the remaining flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. I'd estimate that I had about 50g of flour remaining when I made this, but the amount left over will depend on what flour you use, and also the conditions on the day.
Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and silky, or 5 minutes slowly in a mixer with dough hook. I used speed 1 on the Kitchenaid.
Leave to rise until doubled in size at cool to normal room temperature in a lightly oiled mixing bowl covered with a damp tea towel or clingfilm. This will take about 2 hours.
Once risen, knock back and shape into a rectangle, then press into the base of the tin. Push into the corners and even out.
Cover and let rise until doubled (about 45 minutes).
Flour fingertips and make 1cm deep dimples in the dough at regular intervals. Don't get too carried away - they have to be filled with sprigs of rosemary later and you may run out! Cover and let double again - approximately 45 minutes.
While dough is rising again, preheat oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Once risen, press sprigs of rosemary into the dimples and fill with the remainder of the olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Take a moment to admire the dough, and then bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. The bread should be golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
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That looks amazing! All those little baby rosemary sprigs growing out of the dimples, very cute, and tasty I bet. Was the dough firm enough that you could have kneaded it by hand if you wanted to? The last focaccia I made, the dough was so sticky and moist that I doubt I could have kneaded it without my Kitchenaid, and I'm wondering how unusual that was. Even though I love the KA, I like kneading by heand too, so am looking for a focaccia recipe I could do by hand.
1. Posted by Meg on November 19, 2007
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Hi Meg :) Yes, I'd say that you could have kneaded it without the Kitchenaid. The dough was very soft but not overly sticky. I'd use a dough scraper though and try to resist adding extra flour to the surface. I think that kneading it in the KA has a distinct advantage over doing it by hand in that you're not tempted to add extra flour to stop your hands sticking. If you give it a go, let me know!!
2. Posted by Angela on November 19, 2007
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wow! that is a stunning focaccia, if I ever did lay eyes one one. I made a very similar recipe when I first got my KA and I gotta say- it made a HUGE difference, and my focaccia, which had previously been pretty nice was elevated to awesome. But this one? It's art! Nice work!
3. Posted by heather on November 19, 2007
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Thanks Heather! I was really proud of the finished look of the focaccia. It tasted great too!! I think the kitchenaid made a huge difference to the taste as I didn't need to add extra flour when it was kneading away for me...
4. Posted by Angela on November 19, 2007