Walnut and rosemary focaccia recipe
I’ve been making focaccia for a long time now, but you’re never too young to learn a new trick or two. I was taught this way of making focaccia by a 16-year-old lad from Tuscany. Adding mashed potato to the bread seems to add a richness that works really well with the olive oil.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Walnuts
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 250 g Strong white bread flour
- 200 g Italian pasta flour
- 1 Heaped teaspoon of salt
- 1 Cooked jacket potato
- 1 tsp Fast-action/easy-blend yeast
- 300 ml Water
- 25 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp Coarse sea salt
- 3 tbsp Walnuts
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 8.8 oz Strong white bread flour
- 7.1 oz Italian pasta flour
- 1 Heaped teaspoon of salt
- 1 Cooked jacket potato
- 1 tsp Fast-action/easy-blend yeast
- 10.6 fl oz Water
- 0.9 fl oz Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp Coarse sea salt
- 3 tbsp Walnuts
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 8.8 oz Strong white bread flour
- 7.1 oz Italian pasta flour
- 1 Heaped teaspoon of salt
- 1 Cooked jacket potato
- 1 tsp Fast-action/easy-blend yeast
- 1.3 cups Water
- 0.1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp Coarse sea salt
Details
- Cuisine: Italian
- Recipe Type: Bread
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 20 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Place the walnuts into a dry frying pan over a medium heat with the vegetable oil. Cook the walnuts for a few minutes until golden and crunchy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- To make the dough in the breadmaker; Place both the flours into the bread pan with the salt. Cut the cooked jacket potato in half and scoop out the inside into a measuring jug. Using a spoon, mash the potato until smooth. Add the yeast and water to the mashed potato and mix until it all dissolves. Pour this into the bread pan. Add the roasted walnuts and set your machine to the dough only setting.
- To make the dough by hand; Place both the flours and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the cooked jacket potato in half and scoop out the inside into a measuring jug. Using a spoon, mash the potato until smooth. Add the yeast and water to the mashed potato and mix until it all dissolves. Add this to the flour and salt and using your hands, mix together until it forms a dough and comes away from the bowl - it should take about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5-10 minutes. Flatten out the dough and scatter the roasted walnuts all over. Continue to knead for 1 minute to mix in the nuts. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until it has almost doubled in size.
- To finish; Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), gas mark 7. Turn out or transfer the dough onto a very lightly floured work surface, roll it out into a round pizza base shape - it should be about 2.5-5cm (1-2in) thick and place on a nonstick baking tray. Using clean hands, use your finger to push little holes all over the dough and drizzle with plenty of extra virgin olive oil - the oil should dribble into the holes you have made to create wells of richness. Scatter over the rosemary leaves and sea salt and bake for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Remove the bread from the oven and give the bread a final drizzle of olive oil to reinforce that great peppery olive flavour.
Also worth your attention:
More recipes from Peter Sidwell
Book: Simply Good Bread, Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Recipe - Lawrence Dallaglio's Doughballs
Recipe - Phil Vickery's gluten free focaccia
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