I LOVE focaccia, rich with olive oil, with crisp, crunchy Maldon Salt and herby rosemary. It is HEAVEN. This is my go-to recipe and it is worth every minute. In fact, it’s the same recipe I use for my homemade Roman-style pizzas, just finished slightly differently – and with a lot more olive oil.

Now that I’ve got this version totally nailed, I’m so keen to try some different toppings, like maybe confit garlic…. or maybe some balsamic onions?! Let me know if you decide to make it – be sure to tag me in your photos @theglasgowdiet on Instagram!

Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia

Ingredients
500g strong bread flour
7g instant dried yeast
0.5 tsp caster sugar
375ml warm water
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Fresh rosemary
Maldon Salt
Plenty of extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. To a bowl, add your flour, yeast, sugar, and 300ml of the warm water. Mix to form a rough dough. I used my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, but you can use a trusty bowl and spoon too! Next, add your salt, your tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining 75ml water. Mix again for a good 5-10 minutes until you have a soft, slightly wet dough. If after five minutes it doesn’t look like it’s coming together, just stick with it! Cover with cling film and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. After the 15 minutes, it’s time to stretch and fold the dough. Sounds really complicated, but it’s not! Put some oil on your hands, go underneath one section of the dough, stretch it up towards you, then fold it over. Repeat, working your way around the dough, then cover again with cling film. Do this once every 15 minutes for one hour, so three times in total.
3. When the hour is up and you’ve done your last stretch and fold, put the dough into an oiled Tupperware container, pop the lid on and stick it in the fridge for 18-24 hours. It’s a short amount of hands-on time and then it’s out of sight, out of mind until tomorrow!
3. The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and ease it out onto a large baking tray lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil. Use your hands (with a little oil on them) to gently shape the dough to fit your baking tray. Drizzle over some more extra virgin oil and leave to prove for 2 hours at room temperature.
4. Now, use your fingers to create dimples in the dough, then preheat your oven to 200c (fan). Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together 1 tsp fine salt with a tablespoon of warm water. Stir until the salt dissolves, then gently pour this over the dough.
5. Cover the dough in rosemary, sprinkle over some Maldon salt and, for indulgence, a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then cut until wedges and devour in approximately 30 seconds.