This recipe is based on Italian focaccia bread, although we've added a very cheesy topping rather than olives, herbs and rock salt.
If you are trying to make this bread in a bit of a hurry, then you can always speed up the process a little by proving your dough for five minutes in the microwave. But do make sure that you put it on the lowest setting though, around 100w, otherwise you will end up cooking it, rather than warming it.
You can add as much or as little cheese to the top as you like. Personally, we like lots, and then a bit more on top of that.
Recipe Ingredients
600 grams / 1 lb 5 oz of plain white flour
1 tablespoon of instant yeast
Warm water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of white sugar
100 grams / 3 1/2 oz of grated cheese
Method
Mix together the flour, yeast, sugar and olive oil. Sprinkle the salt on top and then start to add the warm water, either mixing by hand or using a food processor.
Mix enough water to make yourself a slightly runny, sloppy bread dough that is just starting to become sticky. Tip this sticky dough into a floured mixing bowl and knead it well for a few minutes. We find that just giving it a good stir with a wooden spoon is all that it needs, but if you want to get really stuck in and have a good, messy knead, then you go for it.
Cover a large rectangular oven tray with greaseproof paper and then brush over a glug of olive oil. Tip your tear and share dough onto the oven tray and roughly push it into the corners. We like to use a small plastic beaker to roll the dough onto the tray, greasing it first so that it doesn't stick. It makes this part really easy.
Place the bread dough into a warm spot for around 30 minutes and leave to prove. After this time, make a pattern of indentations in the surface using the end of a beaker, greasing it first so that it doesn't stick to the dough. Press the beaker part way into the bread to create a pattern of circles that looks a bit like honeycomb. This will make it easier to tear apart portions once cooked. Finally, sprinkle on the grated cheese, the last part of this recipe, and cook in the middle of a hot oven at 180°C for around 15 minutes.
Variations of this bread, with different toppings:
This recipe is based on Italian focaccia bread, although we've added a very cheesy topping rather than olives, herbs and rock salt.
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