Tomato, Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

I'm not someone who usually bakes a lot of bread, but I as you know I am a massive fan of the Great British Bake Off and, by extension, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. I watched their 'masterclasses' on tv after the bake off itself finished, and one of the recipes they showed the audience how to perfect was a focaccia. Last summer I spent 4 weeks working in Italy so I thought this would be a lovely (yet challenging) reminiscent bake. 

The dough is very, very wet, which is actually quite fun to work with as you knead it in oil instead of flour. The recipe below makes 2 focaccia, which may sound like too much but trust me it's so delicious you'll want more! The bread is also very thin, as that's the traditional way it should be instead of the inch thick versions sold in most supermarkets these days. You can top the bread with anything you like, but I would particularly recommend at least having sea salt, and rosemary is delicious when baked as it goes all crispy.

What you are looking for in a good focaccia is the uneven crumb structure, i.e. lots of different sized holes- this is what makes the bread so light. I think I did quite well for a first attempt!

Focaccia Recipe (makes 2)
500g strong white bread flour
2x 7g easy bake yeast sachets
10g salt
30ml olive oil, plus more for kneading
400ml cool water
Toppings: extra virgin olive oil, plus salt, rosemary and sun dried tomatoes

Method:

• Put the flour, salt, yeast, oil and 1/2 the water in a large bowl. Begin to mix the ingredients together with your hands, and gradually add the rest of the water. Tip: when you put the ingredients into the bowl, put the flour in first and then put the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. If the salt comes into contact with the yeast it will retard it and slow down the rising process
• Drizzle some oil on a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Initially stretch out the dough and fold it back into the centre, as a way of kneading the very wet dough. As it begins to come together more, stretch and knead it until it's smooth.
• Place the dough in an oiled, rectangular 2L container, cover with cling film and leave to double in size- approximately one hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface, gently stretch it out into a rectangle and then cut it in half so you are left with two roughly even rectangles. Place each 'loaf' onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment, and gently press into the dough with your fingers to spread it out across the tray. Leave to rise for another hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (for a fan oven).
• Press dimples into the dough and add any toppings, plus more olive oil. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and enjoy!