This Rosemary and Red Onion Focaccia is one of my favourite breads to make at home. Soft textured and delicately flavoured it is an ideal as picnic bread or served with a casual lunch. Try out some variations by adding cooked onions or sun blushed tomatoes into the dough with the herbs. I also use this focaccia for my ultimate B.L.T.

How to get extra flavour in your bread

To get flavour throughout the bread. I blend the water, garlic, and olive oil together. This ‘milkshake’ is to in then used to bring the dough together. I have also used marjoram in the dough. And rosemary and red onions set into pockets pushed into the dough. Which also hold olive oil to keep the bread moist. Alternatively try some stoned olives in the pockets and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt on the crust before baking.

I would recommend you check out the Food Files pages on What is Yeast and our Guide to flour. Also the fundamentals of Making bread at home will help you to fully understand the bread making process.

If you are interested in the origins of focaccia, or other Italian dishes take a look at. https://www.deliciousitaly.com/liguria-food/origins-of-focaccia

My Rosemary and Red Onion Focaccia.

Makes two 20cm dia loaves.

Oven temp, 185°C/ 370°f fan oven, 200˚c conventional oven

600g                              Bread Flour

1.5 tsp                           Salt

1.5 tsp                           Sugar

3 tsp                              fresh chopped marjoram leaves, or 1tsp dried

360ml/g                        Water

7g                                  dried yeast

2tbsp                             water @ blood heat

3tsp                               olive oil

1                                    clove of garlic, sliced

                                       olive oil for the crust

2 sprigs                         fresh rosemary

1                                    red onion peeled and cut into small wedges

flaky sea salt to sprinkle on crust

You will need: –

Mixing bowl or food mixer with dough hook.

Scales.

Hand blender and goblet.

Chopping board and knife.

2 x 20cm x 4cm sponge tins.

Make your ferment.

If you are using dried yeast. Measure it into a small container and mix with the 3 tbsp of water to form a smooth paste. Add a pinch of flour and put it to one side while you weigh up the other ingredients. If you are using fast action yeast mix it directly into the flour.

Making the dough.

In the blender goblet mix the water, salt, sugar, olive oil, and sliced garlic. And blend until smooth.

Place the flour in the mixing bowl, and if your using dried marjoram (oregano) add that now. Check the yeast container. It should be beginning to foam. If so, congratulations, you have made a ferment and improved the actions of the yeast.

Add the water mix to the dry ingredients followed by the yeast ferment and knead on a low speed for 5 minutes. The dough does not need an enormous amount of kneading as we are making a flattish soft loaf.

1^st proving.

Cover the bowl and leave the dough to prove until doubled in size. Don’t place the bowl in a very warm place. Normal room temperature is fine. In fact, if you need freshly baked loaves for the morning. Make the dough in the evening with cool but not cold water. Place the bowl in the fridge and the dough will be ready to finish at breakfast time.

2^nd proving.

Re mix the dough for two minutes (known as knocking back). If you are using fresh marjoram add it at this stage. This is also the time to add other flavourings if using (see below).

Divide the dough into two and form into rounds 20 cm across and 1cm thick.

Set the rounds onto a greased sponge tins and press your thumb into the dough in a regular pattern with 3 cm spaces.

Rub a little olive oil into the surface of the dough, cover and allow to prove until doubled. Placing the tins in a clean bin bag and forming a tent with the bag works well if the kitchen is very cold.

When the dough has proved, you may need to use your thumb again to open up the indents made earlier. Push thin wedges of red onion and rosemary into the pockets alternating each one. Brush very lightly once more with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if wished.

Baking.

Bake at 185°C/ 370°f fan oven, 200˚c conventional oven for twenty minutes.

When ready remove the bread from the tins and cool on a cooling wire. I like to brush a little more olive on the crust as the bread cools.

Ringing the changes.

Try adding other flavourings into the dough, like fried onions, stoned black olives or sundried tomatoes at the second proving stage.

You can half the dough if you only need one loaf, but as the bread frezzes well I always make two at a time to make best use of the oven.

Enjoy Life!

John.

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©John Webber. 2023