Pretty Decorative Focaccia

An easy and fun bake to make on a relaxed weekend day or any other easy-going day at home.  This is great to make with kids or to prepare as an playful centerpiece to serve with aperitif.

INGREDIENTS

500g strong white flour 

1 tsp sea salt

1 sachet (25g) of fast acting dry yeast

1 tsp of sugar

375ml water

2 tbsp Opus Oléa extra virgin olive oil

more salt and more olive oil to drizzle

Various veggies from your fridge vegetable drawer (here we used fresh rosemary, cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, yellow pepper, green pepper, capers).  Let your imagination run wild, there are many other veggies and pantry ingredients that can be used for decoration.

METHOD

Weigh your flour and place it in a large bowl.  Add the salt to the flour and mix well.  Make a well in the middle of your flour.

Pour the warm (34-35 degrees Celsius) water into a medium size jug and add the sugar and yeast.  Mix well until both the sugar and the yeast have completely dissolved. 

Pour the yeasted water into the flour and mix until combined.  Remove the mixture from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until a smooth soft dough has formed that does not stick to the surface (if necessary add small amounts of flour until the consistency works).

Take a large clean bowl and add some olive oil to it to coat the inside surface of the bowl.  Add the soft dough to the bowl and lightly coat with the oil all around.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a dry, warm place until the dough doubles in size.  It is ready when you push a finger in it and the dough does not spring back.  It takes around 40-60 minutes to rise, depending on the environment the dough is in - you need to take a look every now and then.

Pre-heat your oven to 240 degrees Celsius.

Gently place the dough on a lined baking tray, pull and knead it into place to cover your tray while taking care to not overwork it.  Decorate your dough as you wish, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake in your pre-heated oven for 12-16 minutes until the edges are browned and the middle is cooked through. 

Ta-dah! Now you are ready to serve your beautiful creation with a nice glass of pre-dinner wine.