I seem to of developed a bit of an addiction to dough, I love how all the ingredients work together and I absolutely love how it rises and forms that beautiful textured ball of dough, its squishy and doughy and just yummy.

I have made Lorraine Pascale’s focaccia on many occasions, but with an ever growing desire to be brave enough to fill in the application form for the next series of The Great British Bake Off, I have been trying to bake as many recipes from the previous show as I can, just to see if I am actually up to the challenge. Cooking at home in your own kitchen, following a recipe is one thing, being on a set, under that sort of pressure, is a whole other ball game!

As always I have followed Paul’s recipe to the letter, apart from I used my Artisan to mix to the ingredients together, I did stretch the dough by hand for five minutes, but then using the dough hook, I let the machine do the last part of the kneading… sorry Paul !

The result, a very impressive focaccia. I loved it, it came out perfect first time and everyone loved it.

Buon appetito

 

Stuffed Focaccia

 

 

Makes 2 loaves or 1 large one

500g/1lb 2oz strong white bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 sachets dried easy blend yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
400ml/14fl oz cold water
olive oil, for drizzling
fine sea salt

Place the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and 300ml/10½fl oz of the water into a large bowl. Gently stir with your hand or a wooden spoon to form a dough then knead the dough in the bowl for five minutes, gradually adding the remaining water.

Stretch the dough by hand in the bowl, tuck the sides into the centre, turn the bowl 80 degrees and repeat the process for about five minutes.

Tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and continue kneading for five more minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Bread Dough

Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

Tip the dough out of the bowl and divide into two portions.

Flatten each portion onto a baking sheet, pushing to the corners, then leave to prove for one hour.

Focaccia Dough

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Drizzle the loaves with oil, sprinkle with fine sea salt then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When cooked, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve hot or warm.

You can also add rosemary, cherry tomatoes, garlic, just play around with the flavours that you enjoy.

Ingredients 500g/1lb 2oz strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tsp salt 1 x 7g/⅛oz sachet fast-action dried yeast 80ml/3fl oz olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 150-250ml/5-9fl oz warm water vegetable oil or oil spray, for oiling 1 bunch fresh rosemary large pinch sea salt   Preparation Dust a large flat baking tray with flour.   Put the flour into a large bowl, add the salt and yeast, then add the olive oil, plus enough warm water to make a soft but not sticky dough. The dough should feel quite loose and not tight and difficult to knead. If the whole amount is added it may appear that the dough is beyond repair, but gently kneading by way of scooping up the dough, scraping any sticky bits on the surface and slapping it back down again for a few minutes will see the dough begin to become ‘pillowy’ and more manageable. The more water that can be added (the full 250ml/9fl oz is great) then the lighter the bread will be. But it can take some perseverance. Also resist the temptation to add more flour as it will make the dough too heavy.   Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured work surface or for five minutes if using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. The dough will feel stretchy when pulled. To test if it is ready, make a ball with the dough then, using a well-floured finger, prod a shallow indent in the side (no more than ¾cm/¼in). If the indent disappears by way of the dough springing back then it is ready to shape. If the indent stays, knead for a few minutes longer.   Shape the dough into an oval and place it on the prepared baking tray. Flatten it out to about 30cm/12in long and 20cm/8in wide. Cover the dough loosely with oiled clingfilm, making sure it is airtight.   Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.   Leave the dough in a warm place for about an hour, or until it has almost doubled in size. With a floured index finger press holes in the dough at regular intervals, about 4cm/1½in apart in rows across the dough, pressing right down to the bottom. Cut 3cm/1¼in sprigs of the rosemary and push them into the holes. Sprinkle some sea salt over the dough and place in the top third of the oven. Bake for about 25–30 minutes, or until the bread is well risen, pale golden-brown and feels hollow when tapped underneath.   Remove from the oven, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and leave to cool on the baking tray.   You can follow the method above, or you may like Lorraine to show you how it is done:   http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/rosemary_and_sea_salt_12392