Description
Homemade bread from scratch is just the BEST, isn’t it? This cast iron skillet focaccia bread is super easy to make, with very little resting time. It’s delicious slathered with butter and dunked in roast pumpkin soup.
Ingredients
THE DOUGH
- 600g bread flour
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 15 grams sea salt flakes
- 10g dried instant yeast
- 500g lukewarm water
TOPPING
- 2 + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes for sprinkling
- 15cm sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from the stalk.
Instructions
- Combine all of the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on speed one until all the ingredients are combined.
- Increase the speed to 2 and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover the dough with cling wrap – don’t cover just the bowl like a normal dough recipe. Instead, lightly cover the dough by letting the plastic wrap sit inside the bowl directly on top of the dough. This helps prevent a skin from forming on the dough. Leave in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
- Butter the sides and bottom of the skillet and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Transfer the dough to the greased skillet, and drizzle the entire surface of the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes for the dough to rise a second time.
- Using your fingers, dimple the dough all over by placing your fingertips into the dough making small wells for the oil to pool in.
- Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and the rosemary leaves.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown with a crispy crust. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Notes
I have been very general about the resting time, as it really depends on the temperature, humidity, season, etc. My rule of thumb is to let it double in size. My kitchen temperature is quite steady at 22-25 degrees all year round. I find that my dough normally doubles in 60-90 minutes, however, this varies depending on the time of year.
This recipe was cooked in a 26cm cast iron skillet. I prefer quite a thick focaccia so it can be used for sandwiches, however, if you would like a thinner bread, the 30cm skillet may be a better option. Just remember, using a wider skillet may require adjusting the cooking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 1603.4 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 54.9 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg