Focaccia Pugliese with tomatoes and garlic

Categories: February

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 75ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 500g strong plain flour, plus extra
• 10g table salt
• 25g fresh yeast or 14g easy-blend dried yeast
• 100ml olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 6 plum tomatoes, sliced

Directions

1. Make the garlic oil. Stir the garlic into the extra-virgin olive oil and leave to infuse overnight.
2. The next day, mix the flour and table salt in a large bowl. Rub in the fresh yeast (if using easy-blend, stir it into the flour), then add 50ml of the oil and 300ml tap water and mix until all the flour has been picked up from the sides of the bowl. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 minutes. Return to the bowl to rise for about 1 hour.

3. Dissolve the salt flakes in 25ml hot water and leave to cool. Knock back the dough by punching the air out of it. Tip the dough onto a large lined baking tray and stretch it to a 2.5cm deep rectangle. Sprinkle with the salt water, press your fingers into the dough to make dimples, then pour over the remaining olive oil.

4. Cover the top with tomato slices, then brush with the garlic oil. Leave to rise again for about 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/fan 200˚C/gas 7. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked and golden brown. Leave in the tray for 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack before serving.

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