The focaccia is a delicious Italian bread made from the most simple ingredients. Its texture is very similar to that of a pizza dough. It's very easy to make and is used as a side or sometimes as a sandwich.
The name 'Focaccia' is directly derived from the Roman words 'panis' (meaning bread) and 'focacius' (meaning fireplace). In Roman times, the 'focaccia' was cooked in the ashes of a fire rather than how it is cooked today, on a tray above the fire, hence the name origins.
The Focaccia is used either as a side to a meal, as a sandwich or in the way we'll be doing it in this recipe - as an 'antipasto'/'stuzzichino' (appetiser). Also, find our first lesson in Italian. In today's lesson, you'll learn how to present yourselves. So let's get stuck in learning a new language. Lesson 1: Introduce oneself.
Preparazione: 20 min + 2 ore 15 min
Cottura: 15 minuti
For: 8 people
Preparation: 20 mins + 2 hrs 15 mins
Cooking: 15 minutes
Ingredienti
- 425gr farina Manitoba
- 1 cucchiaio lievito di birra
- 2 cucchiaini sale
- rametti di rosmarino
- 90ml olio d'oliva
- 1/2 cucchiaino pepe
- fiocchi di sale
Ingredients
- 425gr strong white bread flour
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 2 tsps salt
- sprigs of rosemary
- 90ml olive oil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- rock salt
Metodo / Method
Mescolate il lievito di birra con 4 cucchiai d'acqua tiepida. In una ciotola, mescolate la farina e il sale. Fate un pozzo in mezzo e aggiungete del rosmarino, pepe, il lievito, l'olio e 240ml d'acqua tiepida.
Mix the yeast with 4 tablespoons of lukewarm water. In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and add some rosemary, pepper, the yeast, the oil and 240ml of lukewarm water.
Amalgamate il tutto finché non ottenete un impasto. Sul banco da cucina, spolverate della farina e impastate l'impasto per circa 5 minuti.
Mix everything together until you have a dough. On the kitchen counter, sprinkle some flour and knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
Mettete in una ciotola e coprite con un pezzo di stoffa e mettete in uno posto caldo. Ho messo il mio impasto nel forno (spento). Lasciate per circa un'ora e mezza.
Put in a bowl and cover with a cloth and put in a warm place. I put my dough in the oven (turned off). Leave for about an hour and a half.
Togliete dalla ciotola e impastate su della farina per togliere l'aria dall'impasto.
Remove from the bowl and knead the dough on some flour to remove the air from mixture.
Stendete in una teglia e lasciate di nuovo in un posto caldo per circa 45 minuti.
Spread on a baking tray and leave again in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Fate dei buchi nell'impasto, versate dell'olio d'oliva e spolverate del sale in fiocchi. Infornate a 180ºC per circa 15 minuti. Gustate con del prosciutto cotto.
Form holes in the dough, pour the olive oil and sprinkle salt flakes. Bake in the oven at 180ºC for about 15 minutes. Taste with some ham.
I hope you enjoyed preparing this first recipe with me. I will be posting one recipe a week for you to enjoy. Let me know in the comments below your thoughts about this recipe and any suggestions for future posts. I'm looking forward to see your creations. Make sure to tag me along.
With each recipe, there will also be a new lesson and a worksheet for you to practice different topics in Italian. So make sure you head to the link below, follow the lesson and then download the worksheet. Enjoy practicing your Italian!
