A soft Italian flatbread topped with halved cherry tomatoes, torn basil, sliced garlic and olive oil. The dough is just flour, water, yeast, sugar and salt, so there is nothing tricky to measure, and most of the time is hands-off while it rises. Kids can help push the dimples into the dough and scatter the topping. Jamie’s Tip - focaccia is my favourite type of Italian bread. It’s not too
hard to make and you can take it in loads of different
directions by changing the toppings – just keep it light and
you’ll be onto a winner.
Prep
50 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
strong white bread flour 500 g
sea salt 10 g
black pepper 5 g
fast action dried yeast 10 g
sugar ½ tbsp
olive oil 2 tbsp
fresh basil 1 handful (torn)
cherry tomatoes 300 g (halved)
red wine vinegar 1 tbsp
garlic cloves 2 (sliced)
Method
Make the dough
Place the strong white bread flour and 1⁄2 tablespoon of sea salt into a large mixing bowl or onto a clean work surface, and make a well in the middle.
Add 300ml lukewarm water to a measuring jug, then add the fast action dried yeast and sugar and mix with a fork to activate the yeast.
Leave for a few minutes and, when it starts to foam, slowly pour it into the well, mixing with a fork as you go.
As soon as all the ingredients come together, which may take a minute or so, dust a clean work surface with flour and knead vigorously for around 5 minutes, or until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough.
Lightly oil a large clean mixing bowl with olive oil, add the dough. Dust with a little extra flour, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Prepare the topping
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Pick the basil leaves onto a chopping board, discarding the stalks, then tear the leaves into a mixing bowl.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the basil.
Season with a tiny pinch of salt and black pepper, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the red wine vinegar.
Peel, then finely slice the garlic cloves on a chopping board, then add it to the bowl and mix everything together.
Shape & bake
As soon as the dough has risen, pound with your fists, then place on a 20cm x 30cm baking tray and spread it out to cover the tray.
Push down roughly on top of the dough like a piano to make lots of rough dips and wells – these little indentations give you the classic focaccia shape.
Tip the tomatoes and basil mix evenly over the surface, pushing them into the dimples.
Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add a tiny sprinkling of sea salt.
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for a further 20 minutes.
Using oven gloves, place the tray in the hot oven and bake for around 20 minutes, until golden on top and soft in the middle.
Turn out onto a chopping board and cut into chunks with a bread knife, then tuck in.
