Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia
This focaccia is obscenely good. Pools of fruity olive oil collect in every dimple, the crust fries to a golden crisp, and the inside stays impossibly soft and airy. Studded with fragrant rosemary and sweet roasted garlic cloves, it's the kind of bread people hover over at a dinner party until every last piece is gone.
Ingredients
- 100g active sourdough starter (from your kit)
- 400g strong bread flour
- 325g warm water (30°C)
- 10g fine sea salt
- 80ml extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff), plus more for drizzling
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
- 1 whole head of garlic
- Flaky sea salt (Maldon or similar)
Method
Roast the garlic
Slice the top off the garlic head, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes until the cloves are golden and spreadably soft. Squeeze them out and set aside. (You can do this the day before.)
Mix the dough
In a large bowl, combine the starter, flour, warm water, and salt. Mix until no dry flour remains. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and squish it through the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold
Perform 3-4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. The dough will become smoother and more billowy after each set. After the final fold, cover and let it rise at room temperature for 2-3 more hours until doubled and bubbly.
Oil the pan and transfer
Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 23x33cm (9x13 inch) baking dish or sheet pan, swirling to coat the bottom and sides. Gently pour the dough into the pan. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil on top. With oiled fingers, gently stretch the dough towards the corners, but don't force it. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, then stretch again. Repeat until it fills the pan.
Dimple and top
Oil your fingers generously and press them straight down into the dough to create deep dimples all over, right to the bottom of the pan. This is satisfying. Scatter the roasted garlic cloves and rosemary leaves into the dimples. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle generously with flaky salt.
Bake
Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 22-25 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are deeply caramelised and crispy. The bottom should be golden too, so lift a corner to check. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with one final glug of olive oil.
Cool (briefly) and serve
Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Slice into squares or tear into pieces. Best eaten warm, but honestly incredible at room temperature too.
Pro Tips
Use the best olive oil you can afford. You'll taste it in every bite. This is not the time for light olive oil.
Don't be shy with the dimpling. Deep, aggressive dimples = more pools of olive oil = more crispy bits.
For extra flavour, try adding halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, or pitted olives alongside the rosemary and garlic.
Leftovers make incredible sandwich bread. Slice horizontally and fill with mozzarella, tomato, and basil.