A delicious bread.
Ingredients
- pinch saffron threads
- 150 ml boiling water
- 225 g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tblsp olive oil
- for the topping:
- 2 garlic cloves (sliced)
- ½ a red onion (sliced)
- 12 green or black olives (pitted and roughly chopped)
- 1 tblsp olive oil
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt
Method
- Pour the boiling water onto the saffron in a heatproof jug and leave to infuse until the liquid is just barely warm.
- Add the warm saffron liquid to the yeast in a bowl.
- Add a pinch of sugar, stir, and leave for about five minutes until the yeast has started to foam.
- Add the flour, salt and oil and stir.
- Mix by hand or transfer to your food processor and whiz until the dough comes away from the sides and forms a ball.
- Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about ten minutes.
- Lightly oil a bowl and put the dough into it, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for thirty minutes.
- On a floured board, knock back the dough and roll out into an oval shape until about 1cm/half inch thick, transfer onto a lightly oiled baking tray and leave to rise in a warm place for another twenty minutes approx.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, Gas 7).
- Using your index finger, make ‘dimples’ about 1cm/half inch deep all over the surface of the focaccia.
- Decorate the top with the garlic, onion and olives and brush with the olive oil.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and bake in the oven for about twenty-five minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack.
