Focaccia Bread
Author: What's-4-Chow
Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
This colorful, aromatic bread is simple to make. Please view the video to see the kneading process.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 475g Bread flour
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1½ Tsp Dry yeast
- 3 Tbs Olive oil
- 275ml Warm water
For the Topping
- 4 Cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ Green pepper, cut into 15mm squares
- ¼ Red pepper, cut into 15mm squares
- 12 Calamata olives
- 1 Round of quality feta cheese
- 80g (scant 3oz) Mixed cheddar and mozzarella grated
- 3 Tbs Olive oil for brushing and drizzling
- Dry Italian herb mix to taste
- Coarse / flaked salt to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the dry dough ingredients to your mixing bowl
- Mix these thoroughly, make a well in the center, and add the warm water and oil
- Using a wooden paddle, mix the ingredients until the dough comes together and comes away from the sides of the bowl
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough. Knead the dough lightly, but firmly. Rough handling of the dough will result in tough bread
- After 5 minutes, the dough will be smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise for 60 minutes
- Punch the dough down and turn it out onto your work surface
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet
- Press the pieces into oval disks just a bit bigger than an adult hand
- Brush the bread liberally with olive oil and then scatter the garlic evenly over the surface
- Press the peppers and olives into the suface of the bread
- Scatter half of the cheese mix over each of the focaccia
- Crumble the feta over the loaves, and scatter with Italian herb mix
To Bake the Focaccia
- Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 400f / Gas Mark 6
- Bake the loaves for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned
- Remove the loaves from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack
- Drizzle the loaves with the remaining olive oil, scatter with the flaked salt, an allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving
