Focaccia Bread

This crusty, dimpled flatbread goes best with saucy dishes. I like it with a thick tomato-ey soup for lunch. Most times, I can't even wait for the soup and I just eat it with cheese and parma ham (if the boys haven't discovered my loot).

Focaccia Bread

500g bread flour
300 ml chilled water
70 ml olive oil

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t salt (add 1/2 t more if like)
2 1/2 t dry yeast
3/4 T dried rosemary or 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped finely
extra olive oil

1. Put bread flour, water, olive oil, salt, pepper, yeast (make sure it's active) and rosemary (if using dried, rub it between your palms to release the flavor...a tip from Daisy) into a good mixer, like the Kenwood Major and, using a dough hook, knead the dough at speed 2 for 7 to 8 min until it's soft. (As with all machines, make sure you don't overheat it so stop halfway and give it a 30-sec rest).

2. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it proof 1 1/2 hours in a warm place, such as the oven.

3. Grease the bottom of a 13" x 13"/33 cm x 33 cm Swiss roll tray or oven tray with some olive oil. Sprinkle some flour all over the tray.

4. Take dough out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a large rectangle, making the center thinner than the sides (so it's easy to pat the dough out to fill the tray). Now transfer the dough by using the rolling pin and place dough onto the oven tray.Pat with your hands or use a small rolling pin to roll the dough out to fill the sides and corners of the tray. Leave to rise 1 hour or more, till very puffed/doubled.

5. Switch oven on to 200 C. Brush the surface of the bread with 1 T olive oil. Be gentle or dough will sink. Scatter some rosemary all over, then make the characteristic dimples on the bread using your fingers. Leave 5 min. Put into oven and bake 16 to 18 min. You can sprinkle some coarse salt all over when still hot. It should be crusty outside, soft inside. Yum.