Few things are better than a real and really fresh Focaccia straight from the oven. The extraordinary amounts consumed with enthusiasm at our house on various occasions are simply stunning.
It is very easy to make, but you need to be around to see to it every 20 minutes over two or three hours:
Make a basic bread dough from 65 ml water on 100 ml white wheat flour. Use 400 g flour for a standard square baking tray, 250 g for a round one.
Prepare the dough. Roll it out after the second kneading and put it on baking parchment onto the tray.
Infuse 120 ml olive oil with a crushed glove of garlic and 4 crushed dried red chillies. (100 ml for a round tray).
Let the dough rise for 20 minutes, then apply the following treatment:
Use a fork to prick the dough. Penetrate the surface and 2/3 of the depth but don’t go all the way through. Then brush on as much of the oil as the dough will take; don’t let puddles sit on the surface but let it sink into your holes.
Repeat this every 20 to 30 minutes, at least four or five times or until all the oil has been absorbed. Then sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sea salt, optionally adding more red chilly flakes. Give it another 30 minutes to recover from this treatment.
Bake at 210 C (410 F) until it looks right, about 25 minutes.
Transfer on a cooling rack, cut and eat just as soon as you dare.
