A Fantastic Focaccia

I’ve just shared my Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia recipe over on my Smoky and the Wood Pit blog this would go really well with some cold cuts, cheeses and chutney at this time of year.

I also have some very exciting news to share with you all shortly…….

 

The Best Bread….give this a go!

I’m passionate about the food my family eats, and bread is a daily staple where I think homemade blows away any other product if done right, and to make beautiful artisan breads is easier than you would think, this is one recipe I urge you to give a go.

I love nothing better than having a play with different flours to get different tastes in my bread, and was very excited when I got some Doves Farm Organic, Einkorn Flour, which is an ancient form of wheat, and makes a beautiful nutty wholegrain loaf with a wonderful crumb and crust.

I’ve posted this recipe previously, but use it so often I want to encourage you to give it a go again.

Overnight Sponge Bread

Per loaf

250g strong white bread flour

5g fast action yeast

325g tepid water

Stir these ingredients together to make the sponge, and leave overnight covered away from any draughts.

The next day add a further 250g bread flour, I often use 100g white/150g wholegrain and 10g fine sea salt, and a good splash of olive/rapeseed oil.

Mix thoroughly and then knead until silky smooth roughly 10 minutes. Then leave covered in a warm place for an hour until doubled in size.

Use a tucking action to fold the bread on itself to incorporate some air, and allow to prove for a further hour.

Pop onto a baking sheet in a preheated oven at maximum temperature for 15 minutes (splash a little water onto the base of the oven to create a little steam), and then bake at 200degC for a further 30 minutes until when tapped the base sounds hollow.

Leave to cool slightly and enjoy with copious amounts of good salted butter.

A variety of breads on my return

 

I didn’t really feel like firing the oven up today, but fancied some nice breads for an alfresco tea with the family, so knocked up some loaves using the overnight sponge method see below,  a grande fougasse, a focaccia with rosemary and a nice part wholemeal part white loaf……….delicious with some charcuterie, salad from the garden, and some new potatoes with olive oil and parlsey

Best Bread Recipe

Here is the recipe for my overnight sponge bread, for which I am eternally grateful to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Everyday for getting me started with.

My bread

In a bowl add

250g Strong white bread flour

325g Lukewarm water

5g Fast Action Yeast

Mix with a wooden spoon and leave covered overnight.

The next morning add

250g Strong white bread flour, or replace with an equal quantity of alternative (wholemeal/barleycorn/5seed)

10g Fine Sea Salt

Mix until it comes together and knead for 10 mins on a worktop until silky and soft

Oil the bowl lightly with olive/rapeseed oil but the dough in and let rise until doubled (approx. 1 hour)

Fold the dough over on itself again and again to form a tight ball, coat lightly with a tiny amount of oil and then some polenta and leave to rise for another hour

Place a baking stone or heavy duty baking sheet in the oven and turn the oven to maximum, or alternatively in a wood fired oven which has cooled and is giving a steady heat, make sure the oven is well up to temperature before placing the bread in the oven, a quick squirt of water from a plant mister.

Cook at maximum temperature for 15minutes, before turning down to 200deg C for half an hour until the base sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool before slicing and enjoying with lashings of butter or dipped into olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar….delicious.