This Italian inspired bread is a winner with me and my lovely lunch guests.
Not only does it look good when placed on the dining table, it really tastes amazing, and accompanies well with soup, a mezza of cured meats, cheese, dips and savoury treats.
It is so easy to make, needs very little kitchen preparation, and none of that double kneading. Actually it requires no kneading what so ever!
What’s not to like about it.
Ingredients:
1 lb of strong white bread flour
Good teaspoon of sea salt (bread with no salt is pretty tasteless)
7g sachet of easy blend yeast (the type you just sprinkle in with the dry ingredients)
2 tbsp. of olive oil, plus plenty to later douse on the dough when risen and ready to bake
At least 12 pitted black olives
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary (or use a couple of tsps. dried which you can sprinkle on top)
12 floz of warm water (around blood temp; not too hot as that will kill the yeast, and not too cool as you will never activate the yeast)
1 deep lasagne dish / or tin approx. 12” x 9” x 2 ½ “
Sheet of baking parchment, enough to line the dish with the paper going up the sides and protruding above the rim of the dish.
A large plastic bag (I use a small peddle bin bag) for the proving.
Oven temperature Gas 6 or 200c
Cooking time 25 minutes
Put all the dried ingredients in a large bowl, (flour, salt, and easy blend yeast). I’m not a sifter, as most dry ingredients these days are lump free and easy flowing, but I do give all the ingredients a good stir with a good strong wooden spoon. This just makes sure the salt and yeast are well distributed within the flour.
Next make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and poor in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. With the measured warm water in one hand and the wooden spoon in the other, gently pour in the water with oil and at the same time begin to stir in the flour. Now the mixture will become sticky and a little stiff, but continue to mix together and keep mixing this stiff rather wet ball of dough for at least 3-4 minutes (set a timer if that helps). During the mixing process you can scrape down the dough from the spoon with a knife and then continue the mixing. This mixing activates the elastic gluten in the flour which gives bread that lovely texture and ability to rise and hold bubbles of the carbon dioxide which the yeast gives off when it is doing its thing.
Now transfer the sticky dough into the lined lasagne dish, put the dough in the middle and then spread out the dough as even as possible to the four corners. It will look a bit lumpy, and maybe uneven, but don’t worry and now you need to allow the dough to rest and prove in a warm place. Cover the dish and dough for proving.
Either place the whole dish in clean plastic bin liner, fill with air and then close the open end with a knot or a peg. Or place some cling film over the dish, although the dough will bubble up and rise and can get stuck to the cling film, so you will have to take it off carefully. Now place somewhere warm, such as an airing cupboard. On a warm sunny day you can just leave in the kitchen and the temp is enough, but for cooler months you will have to be inventive. But not too hot as this will kill the yeast and the dough will never rise. It should double in size and look more spread out with visible bubbles in the texture. This can take for 2 -4 hours, it all depends on the temperatures of the warm water added, and the outside air temperature, but it is worth allowing plenty of time for the yeast to activate and get working.
When risen, it will have spread out more within the lasagne dish, now evenly distribute by pushing the black olives into the dough. Don’t be too tentative with this, push them in so it makes deep indents into the dough. Next push sprigs of fresh rosemary into the dough. (If using dried herbs wait until after the oil has been drizzled which is next) Generously douse all over with olive oil, it will pool into the olive divots, which is the intention.
Place into a preheated oven Gas 6 or 200c for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Best served warm, cut in rectangle chunks.
This bread freezes very well, and can be warmed in a hot oven for 10 minutes wrapped in some grease proof paper to stop it drying out too much.
Note: If there is any left over, I make crostini’s by slicing the focaccia portions quite thin and putting into my air fryer at 130c for 20 minutes. Again great with dips and cheeses.
Enjoy!