Focaccia

Impress your guests or family with this no fail focaccia.  Plus the extra dough makes the most amazing fried dough pillows as snacks or starters.  Thanks to Annabel Langbein for this scrumptious bread.  Easy enough for novice bread makers.

Ingredients



11/2 half cups warm water
11/2 teaspoon dry yeast granules or 1 sachet dry yeast
1 cup of cooked mashed potato
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
41/2 cups strong flour/bakers flour (I have used normal plain flour in times of need)
Plus extra flour for kneading.
2 teaspoon salt

Topping

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon course salt

Method

Place warm water in a large bowl (or mix master with a dough hook), sprinkle yeast over the water and stand for 2 minutes to ensure yeast is active.
Mix in the potato with 1/4 cup of  oil.  Stir in the flour and salt, mix until it forms a ball.
Tip onto a floured board or bench and knead 30 times (or 3-4 minutes in a mixer with dough hook).
Return to an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Place in a warm position for 3-4 hours or until it has nearly doubled in size.  Alternately you can place in the fridge to rise slowly overnight.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C and place a pizza stone on middle shelf.
Divide dough in half and shape into a ball.  Line a tray with baking paper and then  stretch or flatten the ball into an oval or rectangular shape approx 25x20 cm.
Press dimples into the dough, drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt and rosemary leaves on top.

Now take the pizza stone from the oven, slide the baking paper with the dough on it off the tray and onto the preheated pizza stone.  Bake for 25 minutes until golden and when tapped has a hollow sound.

The second ball can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours or frozen.

You can also use the spare dough to make delicious  fried dough pillows. Watch out for an upcoming blog showing how.





Mama Marmalade