Easy peasy overnight foccacia

If the thought of homemade bread makes you think of effort, time, just too much hassle, I'm here to change your mind. This focaccia recipe requires NO KNEADING and MINIMAL BABYSITTING! You combine the ingredients in a bowl, pop the bowl in the fridge overnight, pour into a baking tray and bake the next day. 

Focaccia is perfect for a bits n’ pieces supper, a ploughman's style lunch, a quick breakfast, the lunch box, or a host gift next time you're invited to someone's place for a meal. We like using it as a pizza base at our place.

Let's do this!

Ingredients:
2 cups heritage flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp instant yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tsp soft butter for greasing pan
3 tbs olive oil
Italian herbs or dried rosemary
Sea salt flakes 

Method:
Combine flour, kosher salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl, stir to combine. Add warm water, whisking it in as you go, til it's mixed well. (A wooden spoon will suffice if no whisk handy). Cover the bowl well and pop it in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, maximum 24.

Butter a 22cm cake tin or brownie pan. The shape doesn't matter. Line the pan with baking paper then pour in 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan. Put dough in a pan, turning it over so it's coated in oil. Tuck the dough edges in so it's a roughly shaped ball in the pan.

The 2nd rise: cover the pan and leave it to rest for about 2 hours. A warm place is good - sometimes I pop my dough in the car to give it a little nudge. When the dough has swollen to cover most of the pan, it's ready for the oven!

Baking: drizzle the remaining tbs of olive oil over the risen dough. Now the fun part: press down on the dough with both hands so all your fingers make deep dents in the surface. Sprinkle top with Italian herbs or Rosemary and flaky sea salt.

Bake at 200°c (180°c fan forced) on the centre oven rack for 25 mins approx. Check it at the 20 min mark. If it's nicely golden and the sides are crispy its ready. 

Use a spatula to transfer carefully to a cooling rack 

PIMP MY RECIPE

• Go crazy with toppings! Chilli and fennel, lemon myrtle,chia and pumpkin seeds,  za'atar, dukkah, whatever takes your fancy.
• Try using our wholewheat flour instead of heritage 
• The bread freezes well! I cut it in half horizontally before I freeze - the bottom makes a great pizza base, and the top can be toasted in fingers and used with dip.​