Focaccia

This recipe is primarily for Onion Focaccia but you can add other things too like I did i.e.by adding sage and rosemary as well as red pepper.  Its up to you what you add, but remember if the ingredients are too wet the bread will not last many days,  not that it will anyway when you start eating this.

Ingredients:


Main ingredients for the bread
210ml/7 1/2 fl oz scant 1 cup water
15ml/1 tablespoon olive oil
350g/12oz/3 cups unbleached white bread flour
2.5ml/1/2 teaspon salt
5ml/1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
5ml/1tsp easy blend dried yeast
15ml/1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
15ml/1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
15ml/1 tablespoon chopped red onion



Ingredients for the topping

30ml/2 tablespoon of Olive oil
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
5 fresh sage leaves
10ml/2 tsp coarse sea salt
coarsley ground black pepper



Method

1. Pour the water and oil into the bread machine pan or into a glass bowl if making by hand.  Reverse the order in which you add the wet and dry ingredients for your machine if necessary.  When making by hand make sure that the salt is put in a separate place to the yeast.
2. Sprinkle over the flour ensuring that it covers the liquid.  Add the salt and sugar in separate corners.  Make a small indent int he flour and add the yeast.
3. Set the bread machine to dough setting.  If the machine has a choice of settings use the basic or pizza dough setting. Press start.  When making by hand stir with a wooden spoon all the ingredients together until well combined and pliable; you might have to add a little  more flour if the mixture is too wet but this will depend upon the flour used as it varies from mix to mix.  Knead until well combined and then put in a bowl and cover with cling film leave to rise in a warm place until double its size.
4. Lightly oil a shallow round cake tine or pizza pan or baking sheet. When the cycle has finished remove the dough from the pan and place it on the baking pan which should have been greased and dusted with flour - this stops the dough sticking.
5. Take the dough from the pan or out of the bowl depending on which version made and knock the dough back and flatten it slightly.  In small amounts start to add the sage red onion rosemary and pepper or whatever other ingredients you choose to add and knead together until incorporated into the dough mix.  Its best to do this in little amounts so that the dough combines this properly.
6. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it and then roll into a round or into a long strip and place on your prepared tin.  Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for a further 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F or Gas mark 6.
8. Once the dough has risen again take offf the cling film and using your finger tips which have been floured poke the dough with your fingers to make deep dimples over the surface.  Cover and leave to rise for a further 10 minutes or until the dough has doubled in bulk
9. Drizzle over the olive oil, and sprinkle with the onion sage leaves, sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Turn onto a wife rack and cool slightly.
10. Serve with butter nice and warm,.

This is relatively easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Pattypan