Rosemary and Garlic Focaccia

Hello Dear Reader,

Mmm, holy goodness

I have wanted to make one of these in forever and finally last Wednesday afternoon I bit the bullet and made one. I used my Thermomix to knead the dough and even though it was a stickier dough, it came away from the bowl quite easily, so I am thinking it could be made by hand, you would just need to oil your hands and knead it for longer.

The dough is quite a wet dough and not as easy to handle as my everyday bread dough. You over come this by scraping the kneaded dough from the TM bowl, straight onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and shaping and prodding your focaccia from there, I wouldn't attempt to shape it first and then move it onto the baking tray, I think it would cause tears in the kitchen and who needs that?

Make the flavoured oil first so it has a chance to mingle, I went with classic flavours of Rosemary and Garlic and  I have used finely chopped fresh rosemary, but I think dried rosemary would work just fine.

Two things I would change with this recipe the next time I make it-1. I would add a little less water, more like 1&1/2 cups (I originally used 1&3/4 cup water and found the dough to be a little too wet, so I have changed the below measurements to reflect this) and 2. I wouldn't cover the proving dough with a damp tea towel, I did cover the dough for it's final rise, but when I went to remove the damp tea towel, it was a little stuck to the dough, so please don't do that if it is your normal practice.

Now on with this splendid and amended, recipe-

Ingredients for Rosemary and Garlic Focaccia, clockwise from top right-4 cups bread flour, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 3 teaspoons salt, divided, 2 & 1/4 teaspoons yeast, 5 garlic cloves (or less if you don't want it so garlic-y) grated on a microplane, 2 springs fresh rosemary, finely chopped or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, 1 & 1/2 cups tepid water and 3 tablespoons oil (I used Rice Bran Oil for everything)

In a bowl, combine the grated/minced garlic, oil, finely chopped rosemary and 1&1/2 teaspoon salt, set aside until needed

In the bowl of the Thermomix, add the tepid water, yeast and sugar, mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes

Let prove for 20 minutes or until bubbled and frothy

Now add the flour, 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic and rosemary mixture and the other half of the salt 

Knead for 6 minutes 

Then scrape into a greased bowl, cover and let prove in a warm spot

Until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes

Now turn out onto a lined, flat, baking tray and gently push and stretch into a rectangle shape measuring approximately 40cm x 27cm

Preheat oven to 200 C. Let dough prove again, uncovered, for 30 minutes or longer if you have time, then stipple the top of the focaccia with your fingertips

Pour over the rest of the oil, garlic and rosemary mixture and using a pastry brush, encourage the flavoured oil into all the little dimples

Pop into a preheated 200 C oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and well risen

There you go, a wonderfully easy and quick bread that everyone will love. The combination of garlic and rosemary is just divine as is the texture of the focaccia. It sliced beautifully and is just delicious fresh from the oven. 

Over to you, what ingredient/flavour/herb/spice would you use on your Focaccia?

Have a lovely day

💗Fi

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