Really Easy Focaccia
Prepare carefully. Work safely. Evaluate honestly.
- Serves / makes
- 6 servings — 1 tray, cut into 6 portions
- Preparation
- 20 minutes, plus 90–120 minutes proving
- Cooking
- 20–25 minutes
- Total time
- 2 hours 10 minutes–2 hours 45 minutes, plus cooling
Heat / oven setting220°C conventional / 200°C fan
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 375g | |
| 5.25g | |
| 262.5ml | |
| 6g | |
| 3 tbsp, divided | |
| 1.5 sprigs |
Tick ingredients as you prepare them. Ticks reset when you reload.
Equipment
- Digital scales and measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls and sieve
- Wooden spoon or electric whisk
- Baking tray or tin, as directed
- Baking paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Oven gloves
- 20 × 28cm baking tin
- Dough scraper
- Measuring jug
Method
Mix
Combine flour, yeast and salt in a bowl, keeping salt away from yeast until mixed. Add water and 1.5 tbsp oil. Stir to form a soft, sticky dough.
Knead
Knead on a lightly oiled surface for 8–10 minutes until elastic. A dough scraper can help with the sticky texture.
First prove
Put into an oiled bowl, cover and leave for 60–75 minutes until doubled.
Shape
Oil a 20 × 28cm baking tin with 0.75 tbsp oil. Stretch dough into the tin. Cover and prove for 30–45 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven.
Dimple and bake
Press clean oiled fingertips into the dough to make dimples. Drizzle with remaining oil and scatter rosemary. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Cool
Lift onto a wire rack. Cool before cutting into six portions and evaluating crumb and crust.
Portion for six
Makes 1 tray, cut into 6 portions. Divide evenly between six people.
Food safety
- Wash hands, clean surfaces, tie back hair and use clean equipment. Check use-by dates and ingredient labels before starting.
- Do not taste uncooked dough or batter: raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. Use oven gloves and take care with hot trays, sugar and steam.
- Cool bakes on a clean rack. Keep plain dry bakes in a clean airtight container; refrigerate any perishable meat, dairy or cream-filled items promptly. Freeze extra portions if needed.
Guidance: Food Standards Agency cooking advice ↗
Nutritional considerations
Flour supplies carbohydrate. Olive oil contributes unsaturated fat. Replacing some white flour with wholemeal flour increases fibre and may need extra water.
Practical skills
Working with wet dough, proving, shaping and creating dimples.
Presentation
Use clean serving equipment, divide evenly and wipe the plate or dish edges. Check the finished food against your planned colour, texture and appearance.
Evaluate your practical
Describe the appearance, flavour, texture and a skill you used successfully.
Explain one improvement to the recipe, your timings or your technique.
Classroom adaptation written from the recipe title in your collection. Review portions, ingredients and timings with your teacher before a practical.
Times are approximate. Quantities are for the stated yield; accompanying foods are included only when listed. This learning sheet does not itself award a qualification.