Focaccia
Focaccia is a fantastic bread to make – it is fun to make with kids but is also impressive enough for a dinner party
Servings
12
Ready In:
2 hrs
Lever:
Beginner
Skills covered
Bread, No Knead / Folded Method, Baking
Focaccia
By: Chloe Coker
Focaccia is a lovely bread to make. It is a very wet dough (which is what makes it light and bubbly) so I would suggest you knead it by machine or with a folded method (which is what I do – you can just leave it on the side and fold it every 10 minutes while you get on with other jobs in the kitchen)

Instructions
500g Strong White Bread Flour
10g (2 tsp) instant yeast
10g (2 tsp) salt
400ml Water
50ml good quality olive oil (2-4 tbsp)
Extra olive oil to finish, plus any toppings: fresh rosemary, sea salt, sun dried tomatoes, olives
- Place the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast and salt and stir together
- Make a well in the middle, pour in the water and olive oil and stir together until everything is incorporated. Leave to stand for 5 mins
- You can knead this dough by hand but it is very messy. It is easier to knead it by machine, or try this no-knead folded method: Place a drizzle of olive in the bottom of a large bowl and tip the dough in. Fold the edge of the dough into the centre, turn the bowl 90 degrees, fold the edge in again. Do a total of 8 folds – this should take you no more than a minute or so. Make 1 indent in the dough with your finger so you know that you have kneaded it once. Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes
- Repeat the folding process 3 more times, leaving the dough to rest for 10 minutes each time. Each time, use indents to mark how many times the dough has been folded. As you fold the dough, you will feel how the structure has changed – it will become more elastic and hold its form
- Once the dough has been kneaded/ folded 4 times, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to rise until doubled in size (roughly 1 hour)
- Once the dough has risen, tip it onto an oiled baking tray. Do not knock it back, just use your fingers to lightly press it out. Make indents in the dough with your fingers and add any toppings at this stage. *If you are adding olives, flatten out the dough, place olives on half the dough, then fold the other half on top, covering the olives. Then spread out the dough – this will stop the olives from burning
- Cover the focaccia with oiled cling film and prove for around ½ an hour
- Preheat oven to 200*c. Bake in the top third of the oven for 20-30 mins until golden and cooked through
- Optional: Cool on a rack and drizzle with oil if you wish


Tips, Tricks and Teaching Info
Hydration
Hydration (the amount of liquid you put in a dough) will affect how light and bubbly it is. This dough is very wet (95% hydration) which makes it really light. Wet doughs are messy to knead though so try the folded/no knead method or knead it by machine
Additions
Try adding olives or sun-dried tomatoes to your bread for extra flavour or simply top with a sprinkle of salt and fresh rosemary