Focaccia Garden Bread
Almost too pretty to eat, this focaccia transforms simple vegetables and herbs into an edible floral masterpiece. With a golden crust, soft airy crumb and colourful garden-inspired toppings, it’s a wonderful centrepiece for entertaining, sharing or celebrating seasonal produce.
How long will it take?
1 hour plus rising time
What’s the serving size?
Serves 8-10
What do I need?
- 500 g bread flour
- 7 g sachet instant dried yeast
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 400 mL warm water
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
For the Toppings
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthways
- 2 black olives, sliced
- 2 spring onions, cut into long stirps
- Flat leaf parsley leaves
- Red chilli, thinly sliced
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Sea salt
How do I make it?
- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add warm water and olive oil and mix until a sticky dough forms. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Using lightly oiled hands, stretch and fold the dough over itself several times. Cover and leave to rise for 1-1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Generously oil a 28-centimetre round baking dish. Transfer the dough to the prepared dish and gently stretch it to fit. Cover and allow to rise for a further 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 220C.
- Drizzle the dough with olive oil and use your fingertips to create the characteristic focaccia dimples.
- Arrange the toppings to create a floral garden using the cherry tomatoes for flower petals, olive slices as flower centres, spring onion strips as stems, parsley leaves as leaves, rosemary and thyme sprigs as foliage and red chilli slices as small blossoms.
- Press the toppings gently into the dough. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until deeply golden and cooked through.
- If desired, brush lightly with olive oil while still warm.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Serve warm or at room temperature alongside antipasto, soups, salads or a cheeseboard.
TOP TIPS
- The vegetables will spread slightly as the dough rises and bakes, so place them a little closer together than you think they need to be. Fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme hold their shape well during baking.
- Serve as a centrepiece for entertaining or alongside a grazing board. It also makes a beautiful homemade gift for hosts and food lovers.
- Experiment with seasonal vegetables to create your own unique garden design.
