Modern easy bake Focaccia with herbs and olives Beginner by davetcc

This crunchy crust focaccia is one of my go to dishes for parties of all sizes, and it usually exceptionally well received. Personally, I add some italian herbs to the flour mix which gives a wonderful depth to the finished product.

Focaccia and Ciabatta bread both use a lot more water than typical recipes, with a traditional Ciabatta coming in at around 80% water to flour. Our Focaccia comes in at around 70% water to flour, which is still a very wet mix. It's a bit more challenging to work this mix, but made a lot easier if you keep your hands wet while working the dough (I keep a dish full of water nearby).

By far the easiest way to start this dough in the bread-maker, using the same dough setting as you would for pizza dough. Given it is a wet dough, the bread-maker takes the messiest part on for you, leaving you with workable dough. If you do want to do the kneeding and initial proving by hand, make sure your hands are wet as it prevents the dough sticking.

I generally always add sliced olives to Focaccia. In fact, the easiest way to make the dimples just before baking is to push slices of olive at regular intervals. Make sure the dough has proved to twice its size before creating the dimples.

Ingredients

Method

Step 1: Make the dough

Bread-maker: Combine all the ingredients (except olives) into the bread-maker tray, choose the dough setting for pizza (or regular if not available) and let the bread maker do the mixing, kneeding and proving.

By hand: Combine all the ingredients (except olives) into a bowl, make sure your hands are kept wet (have a bowl of water nearby) and mix together the ingredients. Kneed and mix everything together until you end up with a ball shaped dough. Adding a little more flour if need be. At this point cover the dough and leave for at least half an hour, or until double in size.

Step 2: Turn out onto a tray

You'll need a medium sized baking tray, I normally use a completely flat tray, but a pizza tray would probably do too. Completely cover this tray in oil, I've never measured the amount, but as much as will stay on the tray basically. Use a silcone brush to make sure the whole tray is well covered.

Now wet your hands thoroughly and move the mixture from the bowl to the baking tray. Gently stretch the dough while keeping the depth as even as possible. At this point I'd go for a depth of 1.5-2.5cm (less than an inch). Now cover and leave to prove, somewhere warm for about 30-45 minutes.

Step 3: Creating the dimples and preparing

Preheat the oven to at least 220°C and ensure it is fully heated before putting in the loaf. If you have a water misting bottle then make sure it is full of water.

As I said above, the easiest way to create the dimples is by using a chopped piece of olive where you want each dimple. Make sure to only ever use sliced olives with all stone removed. You want to create a dimple few centimeters (about an inch) apart. Either push a piece of olive in each dimple, or use your finger to create a dimple. Either way, make sure your hands are wet to avoid dough sticking.

Now use a little more olive oil over the top of the dough, trying to get a little oil into the dimples. Finally before cooking, sprinkle a little coarse salt over the top.

Step 4: Cooking the Focaccia

Prepare everything needed near the oven door, once open aim to close the door again as soon as safely possible. This keeps the oven as hot as possible for the critical early part of baking.

Once the oven has reached 220°C open the oven door, put in the Focaccia, then spray the water mist over the Focaccia and around the area. Lastly, close the oven door and reduce the temperature to around 170-180°C.

Depending on the size and thickness of the loaf, it will need to bake for between 20-30 minutes. You're better off slightly over-baking rather than under. I'd check at 15 minutes and turn the bread around in the oven. As the dough is thin, similar to pizza it will easily burn on the top.

That's it; I really hope you enjoy this fresh, crusty Focaccia. Do try to let it cool down before eating! I usually cut it into long thin strips, but each to their own.