Focaccia – The Short(er) Version

Focaccia is a flat tray bake bread, soft and chewy inside and perfectly crisp on the outside. Ready in a couple of hours in a warm kitchen. this is quicker version of my slow rise focaccia. This recipe can easily be doubled to bake a large focaccia loaf.

A Square Ceramic tin/baking tray

• 450g strong white bread flour (500g if not using semolina)
• 50g fine semolina, plus extra for tray (opt)
• 2 tspn fast acting yeast
• pinch of sugar
• 2 tspn salt
• 1 tbspn olive oil
• 250ml lukewarm water

To finish

• A good olive oil
• sea salt (like Maldon)
• chopped rosemary

1. Mix together the flour and semolina in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix the yeast with the sugar. Add the salt, olive oil and the water and mix together.
3. Tip the yeast mixture into the flour and mix – by hand or in a food mixer fitted with the dough hook – to a soft but not a sticky dough (you may need to add more water or flour).
4. Shape in a ball. Cover the bowl with a clingfilm and leave the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. During this time, oil a baking tray and sprinkle it with semolina.
5. Spread out the dough on the prepared tray to a rough rectangular or square shape about 2cm thick. Make indentation all over the dough with your fingertips.
6. Sprinkle olive oil and flaked salt all over the top and add chopped rosemary.
7. Leave to prove in a warm place for 10-15min.
8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220c.
9. Bake the focaccia for about 20min until golden brown, it should sound hollow when tapped on the base.
10. Drizzle more olive oil & rosemary leaves, all over the top, then leave to cool on a wire rack (so the bread doesn’t steam) before tearing into pieces.