Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Focaccia
This Italian bread with its soft open texture and dimpled surface is a lovely accompaniment. Serve it plain or try the fragrant seasoned rosemary or basil variations here. It makes a great sandwich bread, too. The main recipe can be baked loaf-like or flatbread-style by varying the proving time; the gluten-free version will not rise quite as high.
Recipe courtesy of "Allergy-Free Cookbook" by Alice Sherwood, copyright 2007. Used by permission of Dorling Kindersley Limited. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
| 14 oz (400 g) strong plain flour plus extra for dusting | 5 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing | |
| 2 tsp salt | 1 tsp lemon juice | |
| 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar | 8 1/2 fl oz (250 ml) hand-hot water, or as needed | |
| 1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast | 1 tsp coarse sea salt |
directions
Prep:
10 min
Total:
Try Kitchen View!
Take your computer to the kitchen and view this recipe full-screen, with step-by-step directions.
Enter Kitchen View
-
1
Sift the flour with the salt and caster sugar into a bowl or food processor.
-
2
Add the yeast, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice, and water. Either mix together with a knife to form a dough then knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes, or run the food processor until a dough is formed and continue to run the machine for 1 minute to knead it to a soft, slightly sticky dough.
-
3
Lightly oil a 9 in (23 cm) cake tin and press the dough gently into the tin with wet hands. Lightly sprinkle the dough with water to keep the crust soft. Loosely cover the tin with cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. If you like a high loaf, leave it to prove a little longer.
-
4
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, gas 7).
-
5
Dust your index finger with flour then gently press it into the dough at intervals to form dimples. Lightly sprinkle with water again, then drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt.
-
6
Bake in the oven until pale golden brown in colour and the base sounds hollow when tipped out and tapped (about 30 minutes). Sprinkle with water twice during cooking.
-
7
Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean damp cloth to soften the crust, and leave to cool.
Chime In
Today's Best Saving
from
- Actor Josh Lucas Discusses His New Indie Film ‘Hide Away’
- ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn’: Inside HBO’s Epic Holiday Weekend Movie
- Lifetime Mulls ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Series for Clarice Character
- Cinema Asian America: Director Evans Chan Discusses ‘Sorceress of the New Piano’
- Watch: Gen. Colin Powell’s Pre-Memorial Day Visit to Leno
- Court Orders Woman to Stay Away from Jeff Goldblum
The iVillage Network