Focaccia is a flat rectangular or round bread that originated in northern Italy where it was baked on hot stones in the fire. Traditionally flavoured with olive oil, salt and fresh herbs, focaccia can be baked in the oven. Get creative by adding your own favourite ingredients and serve it as part of a scrumptious mezze meal, with hearty homemade soup or on its own dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Working with yeast

Yeast is a living organism that needs moisture, warmth and sugar or flour to grow. Instant dried yeast is easiest to work with. It's added directly to the dry ingredients.

Always make sure that the yeast is active and check the date on the back of the packet to make sure that it is still fresh. Buy an extra sachet of yeast from the same batch and test it. Do this by placing the yeast in a small bowl and adding 5ml sugar and 125ml warm water. If the mixture starts to froth and bubble after five to 10 minutes, it is active and fine to use. Use lukewarm water. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast. If it is too cool it will not activate the yeast.

Kneading dough

Add enough water to form a soft but not sticky dough. You should be able to knead the dough easily without it sticking to the kneading surface. Always use bread flour and knead the dough properly to build up the gluten that will give the bread structure.

Knead by folding the dough in half towards you and then push it down and away from you, using the heel of your hand. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the process. The dough should be smooth, soft and elastic once the kneading is complete. If you use a food processor, use the dough hook and keep the speed low.

Rising

Put the dough in a warm place to rise. The colder the place, the longer the dough will take to rise. To test whether or not the dough has risen sufficiently, press it lightly with your finger. It should form a dent and should not spring back. Don't let the dough rise for too long, it should only double in size. Too much rising can lead to a heavy mixture.

	7 things to do with focaccia
	Bacon focaccia Filled country-style focaccia Focaccia with ham & olive spread Olive, onion and rosemary focaccia Sun-dried tomato & olive focaccia Tomato olive focaccia Tuna & butter beans on focaccia

	Tips of the day
	Focaccia tip Place a shallow pan of boiling water in the oven alongside the bread. The steam it produces will give the focaccia a delicious crips and crunchy crust.