Sharing Focaccia Board

Ingredients

• 500 g strong bread flour 
• 2¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast 
• 425 ml warm water 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• olive oil 

Suggested fillings 

• hummus 
• mixed olives 
• sundried tomatoes 
• cornichons 

Method

In a bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and sugar. Stir gently and leave for a few minutes until the yeast is activated and the mixture starts to foam. 

Weigh out the flour in a large bowl, stir in the salt and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, perform one round of stretch and folds by lifting and folding each side of the dough over itself. Cover and leave to rise for a further 1 hour.  

Lightly oil a baking tray and transfer the dough into the tray, add more oil to the top of the dough and gently stretch it towards the edges. Sprinkle over some dried Italian herbs and some lemon zest and add 2-4 oven-proof and oiled ramekins onto the dough. Cover and leave to rest for another 30 minutes. The dough should rise around the ramekins, creating holes that can filled after baking.   

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Once the dough has risen, dimple the surface with your fingertips, then bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. 

Leave to cool slightly and carefully remove the ramekins. Fill the holes with the hummus, olives, sundried tomatoes, cornichons or any other ingredients of your choice.