In issue 60 of oh, we shared a mindful bread making story, and here is the recipe to go with it, taken from The Calm Kitchen: Mindful Recipes to Feed Body and Soul by Lorna Salmon, published by National Trust Books.
Rosemary + Sea Salt Focaccia
This focaccia recipe is a firm favourite in my house. There’s a lot to love about it. In particular, once you’ve nailed this version, you can get really creative with your toppings and flavours. I’ve made a sun-dried tomato version, as well as a more autumnal walnut and truffle oil variation. This bread also travels very well (be it in a bike basket or backpack), making it ideal alongside a salad as part of a summer picnic.
Focaccia is one of my favourite breads for a variety of reasons. Firstly, you knead it in oil, which is the loveliest and most satisfying feeling. It’s a sensory experience – the squelching noises, the fragrant scent of olive oil, the rich, golden dough slowly absorbing the flavours. My recipe makes two small loaves, which ties into one of the recurring themes of summer for me: sharing. One for you, one for a friend. I’m not a huge fan of rules, but that’s one I’ll always stick to when making focaccia.
Makes 2 small loaves
500g strong white (bread) flour
2 tsp sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
7g fast-action dried yeast
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
300ml lukewarm water
bunch of fresh rosemary, divided into small sprigs fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 Put the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and water in a mixing bowl. Using your hands, bring the ingredients together and knead the dough in the bowl for 3–5 minutes.
2 Tip the dough onto a clean work surface greased with some olive oil and knead the dough for a further 5 minutes. When kneading, use the heel of your dominant hand to push the dough away from you, then roll it back in on itself and give it a quarter turn. Keep doing this until you can feel the dough becoming more pliant. You’ll soon find a rhythm to this, moving the dough back and forth, back and forth ...
Add more oil when the dough begins to stick to your work surface. This adds to the depth of flavour of the focaccia, and also makes for some delightful noises.
3 Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot to prove for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. I prove my bread in the oven on a very, very low heat – no more than 30°C. If you do this, be sure to leave your oven door open.
4 Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Divide the dough into two. Shape each piece into an oval about 2.5cm high, place on the baking trays and leave to prove in a warm place for a further hour.
5 Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/gas mark 7.
6 Using your thumb or pinched fingers, dot your dough with holes, a few centimetres apart. Fill the holes with fresh rosemary sprigs, then drizzle over some more olive oil
(your fruitiest extra virgin). Be generous with this – it will pool in the holes and soak into your bread as it bakes. Sprinkle all over with sea salt and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden brown.
7 Leave the focaccia to cool on top of a wire rack. Focaccia is best enjoyed on the day it’s baked, while still a little warm, but it tastes just as good the day after.
Extracted from The Calm Kitchen: Mindful Recipes to Feed Body and Soul by Lorna Salmon, published by National Trust Books.