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Makes: 16-20 fingers
Prep time: 25 mins
Total time:
Recipe photograph by Stuart West
Recipe by Tamsin Burnett-Hall
This extra-easy focaccia is a real crowd pleaser
Makes: 16-20 fingers
Prep time: 25 mins
Total time:
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Party Starters Vegetarian Italian Cheese Bread
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
222Kcal
Fat
10gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
24gr
Sugars
1gr
Fibre
1gr
Salt
1.1gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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Ingredients
- 500g strong white flour
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 8 tbsp olive oil
For the topping
- 175g Pomodorino tomatoes, halved
- ½ x 20g pack rosemary, small sprigs picked
- 1 x 225g pack halloumi, diced
- 100g pitted mixed olives
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 3 the day before, chill overnight. Best served freshly baked but can be reheated to refresh next day, wrapped in foil.
- Mix the flour, salt and yeast together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, followed by 400ml lukewarm water. Mix with a wooden spoon until you don’t have any pockets of dry flour; it will look sticky and shaggy. Cover and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
- Uncover then drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil around the edges of the bowl. Push your fingers down between one side of the bowl and the dough, letting the oil trickle down as you pull the dough up from the bottom and fold it over itself into the centre. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the fold and turn three more times. The dough will become smooth and stretchy, forming a loose ball. Flip the ball of dough over, cover again and leave for 30 minutes, then repeat the folding process (no need for more oil though). Rest for a further 30 minutes, then fold again.
- Brush a rectangular box or dish (about 20cm x 30cm) with 1 tablespoon of oil. Transfer the dough, stretching it to roughly fit. Cover and leave to rise for an hour until roughly doubled in size; this helps to pre-shape the dough (you can chill it overnight at this point, see left).
- Use another tablespoon of oil to grease a large baking tray, about 25cm x 35cm. Carefully tip the spongey focaccia into the tray. Use oiled fingers to stretch it out gently – it will try and spring back, but persevere, without squashing out too much air. Cover and leave to prove for 45-60 minutes (or up to 1½ hours if chilled overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Use your fingertips to make deep indentations in the dough. Scatter with the tomatoes and rosemary, and drizzle with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes then scatter over the halloumi and olives. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden, with a crisp base.
- Transfer from the baking tray to a wire rack. The focaccia is particularly delicious warm from the oven, but in any event should be eaten within 24 hours.
Serve with
