Tomato And Nduja Focaccia Bread

Italy boosts some of the most flavourful breads in the whole world. As with many Italian staples, breadmaking can be traced back to Roman times and the Middle Ages, where bread was made from Barley and quickly became a mainstay in Italian cuisine.

Ciabatta, Ciriola, Rosetta, Pain Dolce . . . The list is truly endless. Each of Italy's twenty regions has it's own typical and classical breads.

Focaccia, can be found in many shapes and guises all over Italy, however its true birthplace is believed to be Genoa, in Liguria, where evidence of "Fugassa" can be found as early as the 13th Century. The name Focaccia is believed to come from the ancient Latin word for "focus" as this bread was cooked in many ancient Ligurian homes by the fireplace, the very focus of most homes and known as "Panis Focacius" or focus bread.

Today Focaccia has spread world wide and is possibly, with the exception of Ciabatta, Italys best known bread.

The beauty of Focaccia is its versatility. It can be plain and simple with nothing more than olive oil, yeast, water, flour and salt as ingredients, to variations similar to the one I made today. Focaccia can withstand flavours. We can fold ingredients into he dough before baking, or simply to it with ingredients.

Focaccia with Tomato and Nduja, is a classic combination. Once cooked, the concentrated flavour of roasted tomatoes matches perfectly with the spicy, heat of Nduja. If you don't like, or can't get hold of Nduja, leave it off and top with more sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 450g strong white bread flour

  
  

• 50gg semolina, plus extra for the tin

  
  

• 17g (1¼oz) fresh yeast

  
  

• Pinch of caster sugar

  
  

• 7g sea salt

  
  

• 15ml good olive oil

  
  

• 250 - 260ml lukewarm water

  
  

• 70g cherry tomatoes, halved and tossed in 3 tbsp good olive oil

  
  

• 50g ’nduja

  
  

• Sea salt

  
  

• chopped rosemary leaves

To make . . .

1. Mix your two flours together in a bowl. In a measuring jug, mix the yeast with the sugar, add the salt, olive oil and 250ml of lukewarm water and leave to dissolve. 

   
   

2. Once dissolved, pour the yeast mix into the flour and either - mix by hand or in a mixer fitted with the dough hook – to a soft but not sticky dough. If your dough seems too dry you may need to add more water or if it is too sticky you may need to add more flour. This will take about 5 minutes in a machine or 15 minutes by hand.

   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   

3. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film, or a clean tea towel, and leave to rise for about one hour, until doubled in size.

   
   

4. During this time, oil a tray and sprinkle it with a little semolina.

   
   

5. Once proved, gently roll out the dough on a work top, dimple with your fingers.

   
   

6. Book fold (as you do with puff pastry). repeat this step three times. In Italian, this technique is known as "Dovare" or to Dove.

   
   

7. Carefully, place the dough into the prepared tin. 

8. Cover and leave to prove for 1 hour.

   
   

9. Once proved, wet cour fingers lightly and push dimples into the dough.

10. Place the halved cherry tomatoes and ’nduja together into the dimples and push down gently. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter over the flaky salt and rosemary then cover and eave to prove in a warm place for 15 minutes.

11. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7 and place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven moist as your focaccia bakes and will give the bread a light, evenly cooked texture.

    
    

12. Bake the focaccia for 10–15 minutes, until golden and it sounds hollow when tapped on the base. 

    
    

13. While cooling, drizzle with more olive oil and leave to cool.

    
    

14. Serve and enjoy.