Sage & Olive Tear & Share Focaccia Bread

Serves 8

 You will need:

• 1 x AGA Traybake tin

• 500g (1 lb 2 oz) strong plain white flour
• 1½ tsp dried yeast (7g)
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 300ml (½ pint) tepid water
• 2 tbsp chopped black olives
• 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

To finish:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Sage leaves
• Sea or rock salt (optional)

Method

Place the flour, yeast and salt into a bowl and mix well.  Add the oil and most of the water and mix.  Add the remainder of the water to bring together to form a soft dough.  Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, allow to rest for 5 minutes, then knead in the olives and sage.  Shape into a large rectangle and place in the buttered AGA Traybake tin.  Cover with lightly oiled cling film and put to rise (prove) near the AGA until doubled in size, about 1-1½ hours.

Make indentations in the top with your thumb and sprinkle over the chopped garlic. Pour the oil over so it lies in the dimples.  Lay the sage leaves over the top and sprinkle with the salt crystals, if using.

2, 3, 4 and 5 oven AGA:  Slide the AGA Traybake tin onto the lowest set of runners in the Roasting Oven and cook for about 15 minutes until golden and cooked through.  Turn once for perfect browning.

At its best eaten warm.

Conventional cooking:  Pre-heat the oven.  Cook on the oven grid shelf in the centre of the oven at 230ºC (450ºF), fan oven 210ºC, Gas Mark 8 for 15-20 minutes. 

By Dawn Roads