Here is a recipe for focaccia bread that Nigel had published in the Guardian this week:
Makes one round bread about 24cm in diameter. I use an old metal tin, but a shallow baking tin of any shape will work. It will need to be about 5cm deep. The bread will keep for a few days in clingfilm or foil.
450g strong bread flour
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp fast-acting yeast (1 packet, 7g)
400ml (ish) warm water
cornmeal
a good handful of green olives
3 tbsp olive oil
a clove of garlic
a small bunch of flat-leaved parsley (about 20g)
leaves from 4 sprigs thyme
sea salt flakes
You will need a baking tin about 30cm in diameter.
Put the flour and salt and yeast into a large bowl, mix well then pour in the water to make a sticky dough.
Flour the work surface generously, then turn out the dough and knead lightly. Knead in some of the flour from the work surface, adding a little more if the dough remains sticky. It should come away from the work surface cleanly, but should be a little more moist than the usual bread dough. Keep kneading until the dough no longer sticks to the board. Continue kneading in no particular fashion for a full 5 minutes then put the dough into a floured bowl and set aside, covered with clingfilm or a clean tea towel, until it has risen to double its size. This generally takes anything up to an hour depending on the warmth of your room.
Rub the bottom of the baking tin with a little oil. Scatter it with a thin layer of cornmeal - this will keep the base crisp and prevent it from sticking as it cooks. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7.
Remove the dough from its bowl (it will sink, but no matter), then push it into the baking tin. Cover as much of the bottom as you can, but don't worry if it doesn't quite cover it. Set aside, covered with clingfilm, for a further 30 minutes until well risen.
Remove the stones from the olives, roughly chop them, and mix with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Peel and finely chop the garlic, chop the parsley and thyme leaves and stir into the olives.
With a floured finger, push several holes deep into the dough, then spread the olive and herb mixture over the dough. Scatter liberally with salt flakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes till pale gold, crisp on top and springy within. Drizzle with a last tablespoon or two of olive oil then allow to settle.
While still warm, free the bread from the pan with a palette knife, then cut or tear into pieces.
Focaccia toasts with taleggio
You won't need all the olive paste below, but it doesn't make sense to make too small a batch. It will keep neatly enough, covered, in the fridge.
2 thick slices of focaccia
200g taleggio
For the olive paste:
150g stoned, green olives
2 small cloves of garlic, peeled
2 large anchovy fillets
1 tbsp capers
lemon juice
the leaves from a sprig of rosemary
olive oil
Put the olives in a food processor with the peeled garlic, the anchovy fillets and the capers. Whiz briefly to a thick paste, then pour in a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, the rosemary leaves and then, with the machine on slow, pour in enough olive oil to give a thick, slush-like paste suitable for spreading.
You can use this straight away, checking the seasoning as you go (you may want to add some more salt), or seal it and store in the fridge for a few days.
Slice the focaccia horizontally, spread each half thickly with the olive paste, then slice the taleggio, not too thinly, and lay it on top. Place under a hot grill till the cheese starts to melt.
Makes one round bread about 24cm in diameter. I use an old metal tin, but a shallow baking tin of any shape will work. It will need to be about 5cm deep. The bread will keep for a few days in clingfilm or foil.
450g strong bread flour
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp fast-acting yeast (1 packet, 7g)
400ml (ish) warm water
cornmeal
a good handful of green olives
3 tbsp olive oil
a clove of garlic
a small bunch of flat-leaved parsley (about 20g)
leaves from 4 sprigs thyme
sea salt flakes
You will need a baking tin about 30cm in diameter.
Put the flour and salt and yeast into a large bowl, mix well then pour in the water to make a sticky dough.
Flour the work surface generously, then turn out the dough and knead lightly. Knead in some of the flour from the work surface, adding a little more if the dough remains sticky. It should come away from the work surface cleanly, but should be a little more moist than the usual bread dough. Keep kneading until the dough no longer sticks to the board. Continue kneading in no particular fashion for a full 5 minutes then put the dough into a floured bowl and set aside, covered with clingfilm or a clean tea towel, until it has risen to double its size. This generally takes anything up to an hour depending on the warmth of your room.
Rub the bottom of the baking tin with a little oil. Scatter it with a thin layer of cornmeal - this will keep the base crisp and prevent it from sticking as it cooks. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7.
Remove the dough from its bowl (it will sink, but no matter), then push it into the baking tin. Cover as much of the bottom as you can, but don't worry if it doesn't quite cover it. Set aside, covered with clingfilm, for a further 30 minutes until well risen.
Remove the stones from the olives, roughly chop them, and mix with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Peel and finely chop the garlic, chop the parsley and thyme leaves and stir into the olives.
With a floured finger, push several holes deep into the dough, then spread the olive and herb mixture over the dough. Scatter liberally with salt flakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes till pale gold, crisp on top and springy within. Drizzle with a last tablespoon or two of olive oil then allow to settle.
While still warm, free the bread from the pan with a palette knife, then cut or tear into pieces.
Focaccia toasts with taleggio
You won't need all the olive paste below, but it doesn't make sense to make too small a batch. It will keep neatly enough, covered, in the fridge.
2 thick slices of focaccia
200g taleggio
For the olive paste:
150g stoned, green olives
2 small cloves of garlic, peeled
2 large anchovy fillets
1 tbsp capers
lemon juice
the leaves from a sprig of rosemary
olive oil
Put the olives in a food processor with the peeled garlic, the anchovy fillets and the capers. Whiz briefly to a thick paste, then pour in a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, the rosemary leaves and then, with the machine on slow, pour in enough olive oil to give a thick, slush-like paste suitable for spreading.
You can use this straight away, checking the seasoning as you go (you may want to add some more salt), or seal it and store in the fridge for a few days.
Slice the focaccia horizontally, spread each half thickly with the olive paste, then slice the taleggio, not too thinly, and lay it on top. Place under a hot grill till the cheese starts to melt.
