Sicilian focaccia style bread
Instructions:
For the biga ½ small cake (0.6oz) fresh yeast ½ cup warm water 1 cup bread flour
- For the dough
- 1 small cake (0.6oz) fresh yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ cups warm water
- 7 tbsp biga (see below)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- To make the biga, or starter, crumble the yeast into the warm water and add the flour. Mix together until you have a thick batter. Cover with a damp cloth, and leave at room temperature to ferment for at least 6 hours or overnight. The biga may separate in this period of time; simply stir it back together. (To keep your biga going, feed with a bit of warm water and flour each day, and mix together, or simply mix in a small offcut from the fresh dough.)
- To make the dough, mix the yeast and the sugar, and break up with a teaspoon until you have a smooth paste. Whisk this into the warm water with the biga and the olive oil. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, and mix in the yeast liquid. Mix together until you form a dough. Turn onto a floured board, and knead vigorously for 12–15 minutes until the dough is shiny and elastic. It should be springy to the touch.
- Lightly flour a bowl and place the ball of dough in it. Cover and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- Two types of bread
- To make a simple loaf, flour a baking tray and shape the dough on the tray. Allow to prove for 10 minutes. Bake in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 25–35 minutes until golden, depending on the size and depth of the loaf.
- It is ready when the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Alternatively, take pieces of dough about the size of tennis balls and flatten until ½in (1cm) thick. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the rounds one at a time for 2–3 minutes on one side until golden. Turn over and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Eat piping hot.
- Makes 2 large breads or 8 smaller ones