At the Good From Scratch Cooking School, we make many different breads, Flatbreads, Sourdough, and great little super crunchy Baguettes, but one of the most popular and successful breads we bake regularly is our Focaccia bread. It’s such a great bread to make as it can be made with success in a tight time frame.
For our focaccia recipe, I’ve increased the amount of yeast in the dough, which does two things.
Speeds the dough fermentation up, so it ferments faster
Gives you a stronger flavoured yeasty dough which I love
Whilst the bread is called wood-fired Focaccia, you can easily make it in our own oven, just crank it up!
I’ve included an onion jam in the recipe for something very tasty to go along with it.
Cook Time 8 minutes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Serves 6
- 1 tsp sugar
- 8g dried yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 300g strong white flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 cup olives
- grapeseed oil
Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water.
Leave for 5 minutes or until frothy.
Put flour, salt and 2 tbsp oil in a large bowl, create a well in the centre and slowly add yeast and the rest of the water until a firm dough forms.
Lay onto your bench and knead until an elastic dough forms.
Place dough in an oiled bowl using grape seed oil, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 20 minutes).
Knock the dough back and leave for a further 20 minutes before ½ the dough and carefully place the dough into a hot oiled cast iron pan.
Dimple dough with fingers and brush with remaining oil, stab in the rosemary and lightly cover and dot in olives.
Place dough in a hot pizza oven at about 240*c, sprinkle with sea salt and cook for 8 minutes
Onion jam
- 4 red onions, finely sliced lengthways
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
pinch salt
For the onion jam. Place the onions, balsamic, brown sugar and salt into a heavy-based saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 12 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Stirring every couple of minutes.