Baking Bread: Italy

In the multimedia series "Baking Bread," EU correspondent Georg Matthes bakes 28 loaves from 28 EU countries and spices his baking instructions with typical anecdotes about each land. This time, he bakes Italian focaccia.

Ingredients

• 400g plain flour (Type 00)
• 300ml lukewarm water
• 4g fresh yeast
• 10g salt
• a little olive oil
• cherry tomatoes, halved
• sprig of fresh rosemary

 

And this is how you bake focaccia – Italy's flat bread:

1. Pour 300ml of lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the fresh yeast over the top.
2. Add flour and salt, and knead the mixture into a smooth dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container and leave to rise with the lid on for four hours.
4. Once an hour (so three times altogether), fold the dough in from the edges, and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Tip the dough out onto the baking sheet and gently spread it out with your fingertips.
6. Preheat the oven to 240°C.
7. Now it's time to prepare the toppings. Push the cherry tomatoes and rosemary leaves firmly into the top of the dough. Then drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
8. Cover the dough with a tea towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
9. Place the dough in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes at 240°C, until the crust has turned golden.