Olive focaccia

Serves:

Ingredients

• 700g plain flour
• 300g wholemeal flour
• 600ml warm water
• 1 tablespoon dried yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ cup pitted olives, cut in half
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• salt and pepper

Method

In a jug, add yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar to warm water, stir with a wooden spoon then leave for 5 minutes to activate – a foam will appear.

Add flours, remaining sugar and salt to a large bowl (preferably stainless steel).

After 5 minutes, pour yeasty liquid into the flours and gently stir with a fork.

Once it begins to combine slightly, continue kneading with your hand.

Add a dusting of flour to your bench and tip out dough. Knead for 5-7 minutes, so your dough is smooth and elastic.

Clean out your bowl, sprinkle with a little flour and place your dough in it. Cover with glad wrap and place in a warm area until it doubles in size. (approx 1 hour).

Meanwhile, combine oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and leave to infuse the oil.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your fist, add olives and knead to combine.

Leave to rise one more time. After the second rising (it is usually a lot faster), get out a baking tray, brush with garlic oil and press dough into all corners. Once the dough is even – about 3cm in height – cover with plastic again and pop back into a warm spot to rise, this will take about 25 minutes.

Brush the top with garlic oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Poke your finger into the dough to make a pattern.

Place in a preheated oven at 200°C and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, serve warm.

Notes

• This recipe it an interpretation of one Jamie Oliver uses. I saw him make it and found it really is a quick and easy recipe for bread.
• In the bread-making world, the rising process is called proving.
• I put my bread out on the BBQ in the sun and it proves beautifully. Bread is great to make if you are around the house for half a day- perfect for weekends!
• If you are making the bread with all plain flour then use about 100ml less of water.
• This bread freezes well if wrapped in a plastic bag. When reheating just pop it into a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes.
• Recipe created by Camilla Baker for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

Note