Garlic and rosemary focaccia

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I’m a big fan of homemade bread but in the past I have always played it pretty safe with a simple loaf. However earlier this week I decided to push the boat out and make a rosemary and garlic focaccia to go with a chorizo pasta dinner.

To make the focaccia the ingredients I used/recipe I followed was…

·  2 cups (118 ml) olive oil

·  2 garlic cloves, minced

·  1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

·  1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·  1 cup (237 ml) warm water

·  2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)

·  1/4 teaspoon honey

·  2 1/2 (350 grams) cups all purpose flour

·  1 teaspoon salt

I first of all combined the oil, rosemary, olives and black pepper into a saucepan and gently warmed it for about five mins and then set aside.

Next I combined the yeast, warm water and honey, mixed that and then left it for five mins until it went slightly foamy. I then added one cup of flour and half of the oil mixture, stirred it a little and then left it for another five mins.

I then added the salt and the rest of the flour, combined it all and then kneaded for about a minute before transferring it to an oiled bowl and left it in a warm place for an hour.

After an hour I transferred the dough to a baking tray, which was lined with a couple of tablespoons of the oil. I prodded it down with my fingers to create dimples and then drizzled the remaining oil over the top of the dough before leaving it for 20 mins to let it rise a little.

Meanwhile I pre-heated the oven to 230 degrees.

After 20 mins I transferred it to the oven to cook for around 15-20 mins and then got it out when slightly golden on top.

A very tasty bread to enjoy hot with dinner, but equally as tasty cold the next day. I shall definitely be making it again but next time I might try it with different flavoured oil, perhaps pesto or sunblushed tomato.