Flipping Fantastic Focaccia

Focaccia is my absolute favourite Italian bread and it's incredibly easy to make at home. There are a few myths about bread, namely that it takes ages to make and that it is a difficult art to perfect. I can assure you that neither of these are true and although the process of bread-making takes a bit of time, the dough does almost all the work on its own, leaving you to go off and get on with your day. As for ease, the only real skills required for great bread are kneading and patience, the first of which is basically just bashing the bread about a bit and the second of which can be combatted by the fact that with patience comes the best bread in the world.

The bread itself has a slight crunch to the outside and then is soft and light and airy and heavenly on the inside. In my version, I use garlic, rosemary and sea salt to give extra flavour and the customary olive oil drizzled over the top not only provides moisture but also gives the bread a truly spectacular flavour. This bread is great to tear and share with friends but it also great sliced open and made into a really decadent sandwich. 

If I had to give you two top tips, they would be to time yourself kneading because your judgement of ten minutes will inevitably be wrong one you start to get tired(!) and to buy the absolute best ingredients you can afford.

Flipping Fantastic Focaccia

For the dough: 

500g/1lb 2oz strong flour 

7g instant yeast 

1 tsp salt 
oil, for greasing 

For the topping: 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle after baking 

3 rosemary branches, needles only, finely chopped 

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 tsp flaked sea salt 

freshly ground black pepper

For the dough, combine the flour, yeast and salt with up to 350ml/12fl oz lukewarm water, until you have a soft dough. Knead for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile line and slightly warm a baking tray of 37 x 27cm/14 x 10¾in. After 30 minutes, transfer the bread to the tray and spread out the dough so it reaches the corners. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh rosemary, chopped garlic, sea salt and a little pepper. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples and then rest again for another 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 240C/450F/Gas 8. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until evenly golden-brown. Check the focaccia from time to time as domestic ovens can very often colour one side and not the other. Check and move the tray accordingly. 

Once cooked, remove from the oven and immediately drizzle some olive oil all over. Leave to cool slightly and serve warm with more olive oil for dipping.