Italian Focaccia Bread

Dough:

• 1

  Begin by sifting the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle in the yeast and mix that in. Next pour in 7 1/2 fl. oz. warm water along with 1 1/2 Tbs. of olive oil and mix everything to a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean (if necessary you can add a few more drops of water). Now turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes (alternatively you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook and process for 5 minutes).

• 2

  When the dough feels very bouncy and elastic, return it to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours or more depending on the heat in the kitchen: if there’s no suitable warm place you can sit the bowl over a saucepan of warm water – but not over direct heat). After that, turn the dough out on to the work surface and punch the air out by kneading it again for 2-3 minutes.

Topping:

• 1

  Take two thirds of the olives and push them evenly into the dough, then divide the dough into four and place the sections on an oiled baking sheet, then use your hands to pat out each piece into a sort of oblong, rounded at the ends and measuring 4“x3”. Next, sprinkle a quarter of the remaining olives and a quarter of the rosemary and onions on to each piece. Finally, sprinkle the surface with sea salt and drizzle the olive oil all over each focaccia. Cover with a damp tea cloth and leave the dough to puff up again for 30 minutes.

• 2

  Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 375°F. When the 30 minutes are up, bake the breads in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden round the edges and look well cooked in the center. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.