INGREDIENTS:
- Extra virgin Olive Oil (3 Tablespoons)
- 200ml water – 1 Cup (room temperature)
- 350g plain flour – 2.5 cups (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 satchel dry yeast (7gr – 2 teaspoons)
- 1 x teaspoon honey
- Rock salt
- Table Salt (10gr – 2 teaspoons)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of EVOO to your mixing bowl for the first step in this recipe. Using the pastry brush, wet the sides of the bowl so they become slightly moist.
- Add 200ml water and 2 x heaped tablespoons of flour.
- Pour in a satchel (7g) dry yeast and mix together well with a spoon.
- Then, add a teaspoon of honey to your focaccia mix – alternatively, you can also add 2 teaspoons of sugar
- For this recipe, add in half of the flour to your mix and using the hook attachment, start mixing.
- Keep the mixer on a slow speed initially, then speed it up once all the ingredients start to come together. Mix for at least 5 minutes.
- Then, add 7-10g of salt to the Italian focaccia recipe mixture along with the rest of the flour and mix it at a high speed for 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare a large wooden bench with a sprinkle of plain flour and cover your hands with it too. Then, get the focaccia dough from the bowl and place it on top of the flour on your board.
- Fold it over a couple of times mixing in the flour on the board and on your hands until it forms a large ball.
- For this Italian focaccia recipe to work best, you then need to cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- While you’re waiting, lather your baking tray with a generous amount of EVOO, again using your pastry brush.
- After 15 minutes, remove the tea towel from the dough and making sure it isn’t stuck to the board, lift the dough.
- Then, fold the dough over, slightly stretching it, and press down on it, using the tips of your finger – poking it, all over!
- Fold it over again, so it becomes longer, and press down a few more times.
- Transfer the log of dough onto your tray, placing it in the centre, then lather it with the EVOO and cover it once again with the tea towel.
- Leave this to rest, for 1 hour.
Not: There is nothing more important than the resting time for this Italian focaccia recipe to turn out perfectly!
- After 1 hour, remove the tea towel and your dough should have expanded quite a lot!
- Now, you need to spread the dough out on to the tray using the tips of your fingers so it covers the base entirely.
- Sprinkle rock salt or table salt over the top of your dough (The authentic Italian focaccia recipe uses rock salt) then let it rest once again covering it, for at least one hour, but even up to two!
- While your dough is resting you might want to cut some cherry tomatoes in half, to add them to the top.
- Once the dough has rested again, remove the tea towel and pour some water over the top of it. This will stop the focaccia from burning and make it crisp on top.
- Then, add a drizzle of EVOO on top and spread both of them over the top using your pastry brush so it is evenly covered.
- Now, for the magic touch! This Italian focaccia recipe requires you to press down using the tips of your fingers, all over the dough.
- If you choose to, add the cherry tomoatoes, faced up and then let the focaccia rest again for another hour.
Not: If you don’t want to cook the focaccia right away, you can leave it in the fridge, but make sure you take it out of the oven up to 2hr before you plan to cook it.
- Pre-heat your oven at 220degrees celcius (428 F) and once ready, put it in for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once ready, remove it from the oven and place it on a stand or tall grill to let it breathe.
HOW TO SERVE:
This Italian focaccia recipe doesn’t need much when it comes to serving – just enjoy it nice and hot as an accompaniment to any meal or with some lean cold meats like mortadella or prosciutto!