Olive, Lemon and Rosemary Focaccia
There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own bread, especially when it tastes as good as this focaccia. Featuring olives, lemon, and rosemary there’s a definite Mediterranean vibe to this recipe but you can try other toppings if you prefer.
How long will it take?
3 ½ hours
What’s the serving size?
8
What do I need?
- 500 mL warm water
- 1 tbsp sea salt, plus extra to sprinkle
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp dry instant yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the pan
- 550 g bread flour
- Olive oil
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
- ½ cup lemon slices
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp rosemary leaves
How do I make it?
- Add warm water, 1 tbsp sea salt, sugar, yeast and olive oil to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add flour and stir until the mixture forms a wet, sticky dough. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- Moisten your hands with water, then take one edge of the dough and stretch it gently before folding it back over itself. Repeat the stretching and folding 3 more times, then cover with a tea towel and set aside for another 10 minutes.
- Repeat the stretching, folding and resting 4 times in total, ensuring that the dough sits for a full 10 minutes after each set of folds.
- Pour olive oil over the dough while it is in the bowl and cover again with the tea towel. Set the dough aside to rest in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours or until it has doubled in size.
- Remove tea towel from dough and lightly press on the dough.
- Pour a generous amount of olive oil onto a baking tray and add the dough. Use your fingers to spread dough out towards the edges of the pan. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 220C.
- After 30 minutes, lightly drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil and use your fingers to make dimples in the top of the dough.
- Scatter olives, lemon slices, lemon zest, and a generous pinch of sea salt over the dough, pressing the olives gently into the dough slightly.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is a light golden colour. Remove from baking tray and set aside on a wire rack to cool. Scatter rosemary leaves over the top and serve.
