Focaccia Pizza Bread
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour resting
Cooking time: 30 minutes
- 500g/1.1lbs. plain flour
- 500ml/16.9flozs. lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast OR 50-100g (1.7-3.5ozs) sourdough starter (see note below)
-
150ml/5flozs. extra virgin olive oil, divided in half
-
Spring onions
- Red and orange cherry tomatoes, halved
- Red onion, sliced
- Mini capsicums, sliced
- Coriander or parsley
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
If you are using a sourdough starter, please use 50g/1.7ozs during summer and 100g/3.5ozs during winter
Step 1 - Line a large, deepish (at least an inch deep) 30x40cm or 12x16inch tray with parchment. Dissolve the salt in water. Mix the salt water with the flour in a bowl and add the yeast and stir to mix. Knead with a dough hook for 5 minutes. It will be a very wet dough.
Step 2 - Pour half of the olive oil onto the base of the prepared tin and spread to the sides with a brush. Pour the bread dough over the oil in the tray and spread to the sides with a spatula. Brush with remaining oil. Cover with another larger tray and then a cloth. Allow to rise in a warm area for 1 hour.
Step 3 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Make a landscape pattern with the spring onions, coriander, capsicums, onions and tomatoes. You can use the spring onions as flower stems, the coriander as plants and the tomatoes and capsicums as flowers. Bake for 25-30 minutes.