Focaccia Pugliese - Apulian focaccia

I was lucky to contribute to Delicious magazine with the recipe of my godmother Mimma Apulian focaccia.

Follow the link if you would like to read an extract of the published article.

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/focaccia-pugliese-fresh-tomatoes/

Ingredients

2 medium (about 350g) maris piper or king edward, peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks

800g plain flour

1 tbsp fine sea salt

7g fast-action dried yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

600ml lukewarm water

1 tsp sea salt flakes

250g Cherry tomatoes

Deep 30cm x 40cm baking tray lined with non stick baking paper

Method

Put the potato chunks in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, then cook until tender (about 15 minutes).

Drain, then use a potato ricer or masher to mash until smooth. Transfer to a large plate or tray and set aside to cool.

Put the flour, salt, yeast, sugar, cooled mashed potato, 4 tbsp olive oil and the lukewarm water in a large bowl.

Gently stir, using your hands or a wooden spoon, to form a dough, then knead in the bowl for 5 minutes. The dough will be very wet, so don’t worry if it looks and feels different from other bread doughs.

Transfer the dough to the prepared tray, pressing it to the edges to completely cover the base. Cover the dough with a piece of oiled cling film or a clean damp tea towel, then leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes (see tip).

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Sprinkle the focaccia with the sea salt, arrange the tomatoes on top, then drizzle with the extra oil.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature as an antipasto with deli vegetables, salami, prosciutto or other cured meats.

Because it contains potatoes it best eaten on the same day.