Garlic And Herb Focaccia

 

I love bread. I love making it, baking it, eating it. I honestly can't tell you how much I eat but lets just say its A LOT! I am a sandwich fiend, more often than not i will have a sandwich while waiting for my dinner. Bread really is my downfall when I'm trying to knock off a few pounds. It is the carby love of my life!

If you too are a bread obsessive then you MUST try this recipe. This bread is amazingly good. It has an amazing crust, its not crunchy but has that great chew factor. Its is not like sourdough, where your jaw aches in fantastical delicious way, it is just somewhere in between. The bread itself is light and airy with little pockets of oily garlic goodness. It is the perfect bread for placing on the table to tear off chunks and share.

Recipe for Garlic And Herb Focaccia

 

Makes 1 Loaf

 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 sachet (7g) dried yeast
• 210ml luke warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 350g strong plain white flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp of chopped herbs

Instructions

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until it looks frothy and bubbly. This is the yeast being activated.
2. Stir in salt and add flour, stirring to form a soft dough.
3. Knead dough until soft and elastic. This usually takes about 5 minutes in a mixer.
4. Place dough in large bowl coated with olive oil, cover with cling film and let rise for 45 mins  in a warm place.
5. Meanwhile heat your oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 5 mins or until fragrant.Remove from heat and remove garlic slices.
6. Place dough on a baking sheet coated with oil and pat into a 12x8' rectangle. Brush your garlic oil over dough and sprinkle with herbs, I went for thyme. Cover and again allow to rise for 25 mins in a warm area.
7. Preheat oven to 180°C. Use your fingertips to create small indentation on focaccia. Bake for 14 mins or until lightly browned. Leave cool on wire rack.

I have made this on numerous occasions and it has always been fantastic.

Hope you enjoy!

Shirley x