This is one I picked up at a class at Belfast Cookery School on bread making. It’s a simple and highly adaptable recipe for light Italian bread that’s very moreish! You can add a wide range of toppings – olives, roasted peppers, garlic, fennel seeds – but it’s lovely and simple just with rosemary, salt and chilli like this version.
Serves 8 | 75 mins including proving plus 20 mins cooking
Ingredients
- 500g strong bread flour
- 10g caster sugar
- 15g instant yeast
- 10g salt
- 15g melted margarine
- 15g olive oil
- 300ml warm water
- Rock salt, fresh rosemary and chilli flakes
Method
- Put the flour sugar and yeast in a large ovenproof bowl and warm in the oven for a few minutes.
- Add the salt, oil, marg and tap warm water and use a wooden spoon to bring it together, then get your hands in and bring the dough together into a ball.
- Knead the dough for about 15 minutes until it’s glossy and elastic, then put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for an hour until doubled in size.
- Knock the dough back gently then stretch it out on an oiled tray and leave for another 10 mins. Preheat the oven to 200c (fan) at this point.
- Use your fingers to make dents in the dough then brush with a mix of olive oil and warm water before sprinkling with rock salt, chopped rosemary and chilli flakes.
- Bake in the oven for 20 mins, the cool on a wire tray before tucking in.
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