
This delicious bread adapts a Genoese focaccia recipe and begins with creating a ‘sponge’ starter. Traditionally focaccia is made with with a high gluten wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, yeast, herbs, spices, sea salt & pepper. By adding spelt we add to the digestibility and complex carbohydrates.
It is important to allow the longer fermentation times to allow the flavour to develop and reduce the yeasty taste. The dough need to be moist and shiny, with a generous amount of olive oil in the dough itself and coating the tray and bread at each stage. The ‘brine’ a mixture of olive oil, water, sea salt and wine gives the airy texture and golden crust and is the best way to incorporate the salt throughout the dough.
Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil are still rich in vitamin C with 100g covering the daily requirement. Packed in olive oil means the fat-soluble carotenoids such as lycopene are better absorbed increasing their anti-inflammatory action and protecting against cancer and heart disease.
A combination of fresh and dried basil is used to increase the flavour profile. The fresh red basil used here increases the amount of available anthocyanin, provitamin A, vitamins C & K and omega-3 fatty acids.
Credit: Ceri, Zenxin Master Chef
Key facts:
- Preparation: 10+30+8+60+30 mins
- Cooking time: 25 mins
- Total: 163 mins
- Serves: 10-12
Ingredients:
Sponge starter:
- 2½ tsp (1 pkt) active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup warm water (~40.5 °C)
- 1 cup (140g) unbleached organic bread flour
Dough:
- ½ cup warm filtered water, room temperature
- 1/3 cup dry organic white wine
- 1/3 cup ‘Simply Natural’ Spanish organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ‘Simply Natural’ French sea salt
- 2½ cups unbleached organic bread flour
- 1 cup organic spelt flour
- ½ cup ‘la Bio Idea’ sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tsp ‘Simply Natural’ organic dried basil
- A handful of organic fresh red basil
Topping:
- Drizzle of extra virgin cold-pressed Spanish organic olive oil
- 2 pinches of French sea salt sprinkled over the dough
The Ingedients:
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