Destination
Heading to Italy
Overview
Focaccia is a typical Italian recipe believed to have originated before the Roman Empire was formed. Some historians also hold the believe it originated in Ancient Greece. It is important to acknowledge that unrisen flat bread has also long been made throughout the Middle East. However, it can be confirmed that recipes similar to this one can be found in Turkey, France, Spain and Greece. It is also speculated to be the origin of pizza dough. Despite its rich history, it is an easily approachable recipe. It can be varied by adding toppings before baking or filling the finished bread with cheese or ham.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500g Flour
- 300ml Water
- 60ml Olive Oil (extra for greasing the pan and for the top)
- 2tsp Sugar
- 2tsp Salt
- 1package(25g) Fresh Yeast
- Sea Salt and Rosemary
Instructions
- In a metal bowl, warm the water until lukewarm and add the sugar. Take the water off the heat. Crumble the yeast into the water and mix well. Let the mixture set for 5-10 minutes to proof the yeast.
- Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the salt on one side. Pour the yeast mixture on the other side. Try to make sure that yeast and salt don’t touch directly until it is totally unavoidable! Salt turns yeast off. Add the oil.
- Use a fork to mix the mixture until you can knead it by hand. Knead until obtaining a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it to rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
- When the dough has risen, oil a baking pan and tilt the dough into it. Spread the dough until it is about 2cm thick.
- Make deep holes in the dough and fill them with a bit of rosemary. Sprinkle the focaccia with salt and cover it with a tea towel. Leave to rise for another 20 minutes.
- When the dough has finished rising, sprinkle a bit of oil over it.
- Bake the focaccia on 200ºC for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Cut and serve warm with a bit of olive oil and salt.
Variations
Focaccia, being bread, can be eaten in a thousand and one ways. With ham and cheese filling or with tomatoes and olives intead of rosemary and salt on top. Anything you like can be added to it. It has a lot of room for your creativity and prefferences.
You can also vary the choice of flour. For example, you can use 250g of spelt flour and 250g of plain flour. That combination is nice with a cheese and onion topping or cherry tomatoes and black olives.
