Classic White Focaccia Ligure
  Ingredients
- 400g flour
- 25g yeast
- 260g water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Brine:
- 30g oil
- 50g water
- grains of coarse salt
Method
1. Dissolve yeast in water with sugar.
2. Add the flour and salt. The dough is very sticky and much softer than that for pizza. It should not be worked for long.
3. As soon as it appears homogeneous, with anointed hands, spread the batter on a griddle also greased.
4. To rise in warm place for about an hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Then grease your hands and with your fingers make holes in the dough, pressing with fingertips to touch the pan. 6. Put in the pockets grains of coarse salt.
7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
8. In a bowl, beat with a fork oil and water and sprinkle the emulsion on the surface of the focaccia. Bake again for 5-10 minutes, until it is golden.
Variations: (onions & rosemary / green olives & rock salt, ...)
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Focaccetta ligure stuffed with cheese
 Ingredients - serves 4
- 300g flour
- 400g cheese (semi-hard)
- olive oil
- 12 tbsp of water
- salt
Method
1. Mix the flour with cold water and a little salt and knead the dough until smooth.
2. Leave it on hold and in the meantime, cut the cheese into cubes.
3. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm and then obtain 2 disks, one slightly larger than the other that will serve to cover a baking pan greased with oil.
4. Spread the cheese over the disk and cover with the other, then brush the surface with oil.
5. Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8 and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve in slices.
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Focaccia 
Ingredients
- 500g/1lb 2oz strong white bread flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 sachets dried easy blend yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400ml/14fl oz cold water
- olive oil, for drizzling
- fine sea salt
Method
1. Place the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and 300ml/10½fl oz of the water into a large bowl. Gently stir with your hand or a wooden spoon to form a dough then knead the dough in the bowl for five minutes, gradually adding the remaining water.
2. Stretch the dough by hand in the bowl, tuck the sides into the centre, turn the bowl 80 degrees and repeat the process for about five minutes.
3. Tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and continue kneading for five more minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.
4. Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Tip the dough out of the bowl and divide into two portions. Flatten each portion onto a baking sheet, pushing to the corners, then leave to prove for one hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Drizzle the loaves with oil, sprinkle with fine sea salt then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When cooked, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve hot or warm.
Alternatives: Try adding herbs such as rosemary or thyme, or perhaps some chopped chilli.
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Fun pitta pizzas
Ingredients - serves 4
- 250g (½ x 500g pack) frozen mixed peppers
- 100g smoked bacon lardons
- 6 wholemeal pitta breads
- 175g double concentrate tomato purée
- 2 x 125g packs basics mozzarella cheese ball, torn into pieces
- 100g tinned sweetcorn, drained
- 167g (½ x 335g pack) cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 iceberg lettuce, shredded
Method
1. Defrost the frozen mixed peppers for 1 hour, then pat them dry with kitchen paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/ gas 6. Heat a non-stick frying pan, then dry-fry the lardons for 5 minutes, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Using a knife, cut 6 wholemeal pitta breads in half horizontally and place on a baking tray, insides facing up. Spread the tomato purée over the pitta halves. Top with the bacon lardons, mozzarella cheese, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes and peppers, arranged as you wish.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with the shredded iceberg lettuce.
Hints and Tips: Try swapping the bacon lardons for 200g sliced mushrooms, fried in a little vegetable oil.
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Granary bread
Ingredients
- 500g granary flour
- 250g strong white bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 400ml warm water
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 egg white
- Sesame or poppy seeds
Method
1. Mix together flour, salt and yeast. Pour water and butter. Knead for 10 minutes.
2. Grease a bowl then let it rise for 1 hour.
3. Shape dough into a loaf, grease tin, cover with cling film and let rest for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 40 min in the oven at 190C.
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Italian breadsticks - Grissini
Cook time: 20 min - Oven temperature: 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6
  Ingredients
- 200ml water
- 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra for brushing
- 350g white bread flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp dried yeast
Coating (optional)
- poppy seeds
- coarse sea salt
- paprika
Method
1. Dough: set the bread machine to the dough setting.
2. Lightly oil two baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
3. When the dough cycle has finished, remove the dough from the machine, place it on a lightly floured surface and knock it back. Roll it out to a rectangle measuring 23x20cm (9x8in).
4. Cut into three 20cm/8in long strips. Cut each strip width ways into ten. Roll and stretch each piece to 30cm/12in.
5. Roll the breadsticks in poppy seeds, sea salt or sprinkle some paprika if liked. Space well apart on the baking sheets. Brush lightly with olive oil, cover with clear film and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden, turning once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Tip: if you are rolling the breadsticks in sea salt, don't use too much. Crush the sea salt slightly if the crystals are large.
Tip: They will keep for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container. You can refresh them in a hot oven for a few minutes before serving.
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Mozzarella and Pesto Crostini
Ingredients - makes 15
- 1 small baguette
- Olive oil
- 4 tbsp pesto
- 2x195g Mozzarella balls
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- 15 black olives
Method
1. Cut a small baguette into 1cm-thick slices. Brush with olive oil and toast lightly under the grill. Spread the untoasted sides with 4 tbsp pesto.
2. Slice 2 x 195g Mozzarella balls, 15 cherry tomatoes and 15 black olives and use to top the crostini. Grill till the cheese melts. Serve warm.
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Olive and Sun dried Tomato Bread
  Ingredients
- 1 kg strong bread flour
- 500ml warm water
- 6g sachet dried yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50g sun dried tomatoes
- 100g black or green olives
Method
1. Mix the yeast, salt and sugar into half the flour.
2. Add the warm water and olive oil, stir well to form a very loose mixture.
3. Cover the mixture with a tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 11/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile chop up the olives into quarters and the sun dried tomatoes into small pieces.
5. Once the dough has risen, use a fork to stir in the tomato, olives and remaining flour.
6. Knead until dough becomes consistent and smooth, the dough will be very loose and quite difficult to knead so use a little extra flour to help.
7. When done kneading cover with a tea-towel again and allow to rise for a further hour.
8. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/425° F/Gas mark 7.
9. Place the dough onto a floured surface, divide in half and shape into two loaves.
10. Place the loaves onto some baking paper on a baking tray, or into a baking tin, and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Check that the loaves are done by tapping the bottom with your finger, it should be making a hollow sound when the bread is cooked.
12. When done remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool down.
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Pizza dough
Ingredients
- 140ml water
- 250g flour
- 7,5g yeast
- 8g salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
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Spelt Flour Bread
Ingredients
- 300 g spelt flour
- 250g white bread flour
- 1 tablespoon dried active yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 10g salt
- 300ml water
- 20g butter
- 75g pumpkin seeds
Method
1. Mix flour and salt well. Knead in butter.
2. Mix yeast and sugar in 150ml warm water and leave. After 15 minutes whisk again and add 150ml more warm water. Add to flour and knead.
4. Spread dough out and add seeds. Fold up and knead again.
5. Prove in oiled bowl for 1-1/2 hours. Transfer to loaf tin and prove for another 40 minutes.
6. Slash top and spray water. Bake for 30 minutes at 230C.
7. Leave to cool for 30 minutes.
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Stuffed Focaccia with Spinach, Olives and Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 450g strong plain white flour
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 300ml warm water
- 250g frozen spinach, defrosted
- 200g mozzarella cheese, chopped
- 4 tbsp pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the sprigs
- Sea salt for sprinkling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the yeast. Make a well in the centre, pour in the oil and the water and with the help of a wooden spoon, mix all together.
2. Transfer the mixture on a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with a clean tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours until nearly doubled in size.
4. Meanwhile, squeeze the defrosted spinach to remove any excess water and place in a large bowl. Add the mozzarella, the olives and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Brush a 25cm loose-based cake tin with oil.
6. Knock back the dough by punching it, and divide it into two pieces. Roll out the first piece larger than the tin. Place on the bottom of the tin and mould the sides to be higher than the base.
7. Spread the spinach mixture over the base to within 1 cm of the edge.
8. Roll out the remaining dough to the size of the tin, brush the edges with a little water and place over the filling. Press the edges together to ensure a good seal.
9. Using your fingers, press all over the surface and then brush with the extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes until risen and firm.
10. Remove the focaccia from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack to slightly cool. Enjoy while still warm and fragrant. If you have any leftover, it will still taste great for lunch the next day.
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