Description

This skillet pesto focaccia has been doing the rounds lately here after pulling the last of the basil from the Summer garden and having an abundance of pesto in the fridge. Try it alongside a bowl of your fave homemade soup!

Ingredients

Scale

The Dough

600g bread flour
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
15 grams sea salt flakes
10g dried instant yeast
500g lukewarm water
¼ c pesto

Topping

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt flakes for sprinkling
¼ c grated parmesan, Reggiano or grana padano

Instructions

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the warm water and olive oil. Turn onto speed one and mix until all the ingredients are combined and a sticky dough forms. Increase the speed to 2 and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap so it is lightly sitting on top if the dough to stop a film from forming. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours, until doubled in size and bubbly.
Place your dough on a flat surface (I use a Silpat cooking mat or prove my dough in a rectangular plastic container to make this step easier). Because it is a sticky dough, it will spread a little. Spread a thin layer of pesto over the focaccia dough, and then fold one side into the center. Repeat with the opposite end, folding the dough on top of itself. Hopefully, by now, you should see very little pesto – it should be tucked up inside the dough.
Generously butter the inside of an enamel cast iron pan (I use my old faithful 26cm Le Creuset skillet for this).
Transfer the bread dough to the pan and gently stretch it to fit. Let it rest for another 45–60 minutes in a warm place, loosely covered with parchment paper and a tea towel on top.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/390°F.
Drizzle olive oil over the dough and use your fingers to press deep dimples all over. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until deep golden brown with a crispy crust all over. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

I bake my pesto focaccia in my 26cm enamel cast iron skillet. To make sure it comes out cleanly, brush the inside of the pan with butter before adding the dough.

Short on time? Prep ahead by doing the first proove overnight in the fridge (steps 1 & 2). The pick up the next day at step 3.

When working with the dough, rub a little olive oil on your fingers to prevent the dough for sticking to your hands.

Please note all recipes on this website are in US measurements. Eg, 1 cup / 240ml, 1 tablespoon/15mls. Oven temperatures refer to a fan-forced oven.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 382
Sugar: 0.4 g
Sodium: 1702.3 mg
Fat: 12.6 g
Carbohydrates: 55.4 g
Protein: 11.1 g
Cholesterol: 3.3 mg