Focaccia Bread

Focaccia (pronounced fo-Kah-cha) is a flatbread similar to a pizza dough that can be either sweet or savory. In Italy, Liguria is the best-known region for focaccia, which is called “classica” in Genoa, a focaccia 1/2 to 1 inch thick, with a light crust and a surface full of indentations that hold oil.

How to make Focaccia Bread

MAKES 2 ROUND LOAVES

Ingredients

20g fresh yeast                                             FOR THE TOPPING

325ml lukewarm water                                              60ml extra virgin olive oil

45ml extra virgin olive oil                                         4 garlic cloves, chopped

500g refined flour                                                     10-12 leaves of fresh herbs

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh herb 

Procedure

STEP 1

Lightly oil  2 pizza pans. Mix the yeast with 60ml of water, then stir in the remaining water. stir in the oil. Add the flour and salt together into a bowl and add the yeast mixture and mix it to make a soft dough.

STEP 2

Shift the dough on to a floured surface and knead for about 8- 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place it in a oiled bowl and cover it and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

STEP 3

Punch down the dough and shift to floured surface again. Gently knead the fresh herb in the dough. Divide it into 2 equal pieces. Roll them into 10 in. circle and place it in prepared pizza pan.

STEP 4

Cover it and leave it to rise in a warm place for 30 min. Now poke the dough to make dimples. Again let it rise until it gets doubles in size.

STEP 5

Sprinkle the copped garlic and herbs evenly and drizzle over the olive oil for the topping. Now bake them in a 200 degree C preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove focaccia from the tin and keep it on a wired rack to cool. Loaves are best served warm.