The Assembly Bistro's Famous Focaccia

Ingredients

750g strong flour

16g salt

5g sugar

25g fresh yeast (or 12.5g dry yeast)

62.5g olive oil

625g water

Topping: Garlic, chilli, rosemary, oil and flaky sea salt.

Method

- Dissolve yeast into lukewarm water.

- Add flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.

- Set mixer to low speed and gradually add in oil, followed by water/yeast mixture.

- Increase speed on mixer and mix until the dough clings to the paddle and pulls off the side of the bowl (approx. 5 mins). The dough will be very stretchy.

- Prepare cooking tray (45cm x 32cm) with canola oil spray and then drizzle with olive oil (very important or your bread will stick)

- Place the dough onto the tray and oil your hands. Gradually stretch the dough so that it covers the cooking tray.

- Leave to relax and prove for 40 minutes.

- Give a light massage to aerate the dough.

- Allow to relax again for 30 minutes.

- Give a medium massage to aerate the dough.

- Preheat oven to 200°C.

- Allow to relax for a further 30 minutes.

- Give a strong massage.

- Wait a further 10 minutes and then place in the oven.

- Cook for 18 minutes. In the meantime, finely chop garlic, rosemary and chilli (no seeds) and mix in olive oil.

- Remove the bread from the oven and brush generously with oil mixture and flaky sea salt.

- Return to the oven for 7 minutes, until a crisp golden colour.

- Carefully remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!