Bread art focaccia Recipe

Serve our bread art focaccia warm and you’re in for a real treat. Experiment with your own edible artsy design and create a magnificent, unique centrepiece for a summer table. Try serving it with our red pepper houmous or instead of toast in this delicious brunch option of eggs, asparagus and crispy ham. If you have leftovers, which is unlikely! Warm them through in the oven with a slab of goats cheese and a drizzle of olive oil for a really lovely lunch. We used a selection of red onion, herbs, colourful peppers, spring onions, chilli and olives to decorate our focaccia. You could really use any vegetables that are edible raw or even add other elements such as cheese. Alternatively, if you prefer traditional focaccia just stick to the classic, rosemary sprigs and salt.

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 7g sachet fast action or 14g fresh yeast
• 3tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2tsp sea salt

For the decoration:

• 1tsp sea salt flakes
• 2-3tbsp olive oil

A selection of seasonal veg that can be eaten raw such as:

• Red onion
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Spring onions
• Olives
• Chillies

You will need:

• Large baking sheet, lined with baking parchment

Method

1. Tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the yeast. Add 300ml lukewarm water, the olive oil and salt and then mix to form a dough. Knead the dough, either in a mixer with a dough hook or on a lightly floured surface, for 8-10 mins until smooth and elastic.
2. Put the dough into an oiled bowl and smother the top with a little more oil. Cling the top and leave in a warm place to prove for 1 hr – 1 hr 30 mins until doubled in size.
3. Roll or stretch the dough out to rough 35cm x 25cm rectangle, put onto the prepared baking sheet and make deep dimples with your fingers all over the dough.
4. Artfully arrange the herbs and vegetables close together, to create an elaborate pattern. Press them into the dough a little and brush over olive oil. Leave in a warm place for 20 mins. Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
5. Bake for 15 mins then brush or drizzle over a little more olive oil. Return to the oven for 5 mins, cook until golden.
6. Drizzle over a little more olive oil if you dare, and scatter over sea salt flakes, before serving warm.