Cooking Tips
Garden focaccia
Serve this herby, fragrant focaccia with honey, figs and cheese for a truly stand-out picnic or alfresco lunch.
Ingredients
- 10g/⅓oz rosemary, leaves picked
- 10g/⅓oz dill, fronds picked
- 10g/⅓oz sage, leaves picked
- 10g/⅓oz parsley, leaves picked
- 60ml/2fl oz olive oil, plus extra for drizzling and greasing
- 600g/1lb 5oz strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp salt
- 14g/½oz fast action dried yeast
- 1 stick rhubarb, sliced into strips
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 courgette, peeled into ribbons
- handful fresh herbs and edible flowers (such as parsley, sage, dill, nasturtiums or lavender)
- 1 tbsp flaked sea salt
To serve
- honey, for drizzling
- fresh figs (optional)
- selection of cheeses (optional)
Method
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Put the rosemary, dill, sage, parsley and oil in a blender and whizz together until combined.
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Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl, then pour in the herby oil, the yeast and 300ml/10fl oz tepid water. Knead for 7–10 minutes until smooth and combined. This can be done by hand, or using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
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Lightly grease a bowl, add the dough and cover with a tea towel. Leave to prove for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
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Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9 and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up.
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Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and spread out with your hands to fit a 30x20cm/12x10in baking tin. Lower into the tin and leave to prove for another 20 minutes.
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Push the rhubarb, onion and courgette slices into the top of the dough with your fingertips, sprinkle with the sea salt and drizzle over a good glug of olive oil.
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Slide the dough onto the preheated tray and bake for 20 minutes. Top with the fresh herbs and flowers and bake for a further 20 minutes until golden brown.
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Leave to cool, then serve on a big board with a drizzle of honey, fresh figs and a selection of cheese, if you like.
Garden focaccia