Frugal Recipe : Foccacia Bread

Pin It

This post is for inclusion in the Natural Mothers Network Frugal Families Carnival. The topic of the month is Frugal Fireside Recipe's. 

Living in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa) means we are enjoying an extremely warm summer at the moment. So, a fireside recipe for me is more of an accompaniment to a Braai (BBQ) but this recipe is a great accompaniment to a warming pasta dish such a Pasta Puttanesca or can be enjoyed with a hearty soup ... yum.

My favourite way to enjoy Foccacia Bread is plain (no seasoning's other than course salt) with a dipping sauce made from olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Making bread must be one of the most satisfying things to do in the kitchen. Foccacia is a great one to start with, as its so simple, and tasty.

Here is my favourite fool-proof recipe:

Foccacia Bread

Foccacia is a flat oven baked Italian bread. It is related to pizza, and in fact I use this same recipe as my home-made pizza base.

800ml white bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
seasoning of choice - see below for yummy ideas
About 350 ml lukewarm water

Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a hollow in the centre and add the oil and half the seasonings. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough (The mixture makes a moist, slightly sticky dough.)

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for 10 minutes until smooth and no longer sticky. (Tiny air bubbles will form on the surface when the dough is lightly pressed between your hands.)

Place the dough in a large oiled mixing bowl, brush with a little oil and cover lightly with a clean cloth. Leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume (about 40 - 60minutes)

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead lightly four or five times, taking care not to knead out the air. Shape the dough into a neat oval by tucking the sides under to enclose even more air. Cover lightly and leave to rest for 7 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and spray a fairly large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Lightly roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is the size of the baking sheet. Alternatively, flatten it with the palm of your hand until it is the required size. Place on the baking sheet, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in volume (about 20 - 30 minutes.)

Make holes in the proven dough with your fingers and fill with remaining seasonings. Sprinkle with olive oil and coarse salt.

Bake for 25 minutes until risen and done. Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and drizzle with extra olive oil.

Makes 1 large loaf which serves 6.

Ideas for seasonings:
Fresh Rosemary and crushed garlic cloves
Sun-dried tomatoes and chives
Anchovies, garlic and olives
Mixed herbs
Feta cheese and sage

Tweet