Garden Focaccia

For the Focaccia  

• 400g cake flour  
• 10g fine salt 
• 8g instant dry yeast  
• 360ml warm water  
• Malden salt
• Olive oil  

For the Flower Pattern 

• 1 red onion
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 leek, outer leaves cut lengthways
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

To make the focaccia, place the warm water and yeast into a large mixing bowl and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Add flour and salt. Using a spatula, mix together until a shaggy dough is formed. Cover with a tea towel and place the bowl in a warm spot in the kitchen for 20 minutes.

Wet your hand and form a cup-like shape, scooping the dough with your hand and creating a slap and fold motion with the dough. Repeat the action until you see small bubbles forming and the dough looks smoother. About 2-3 minutes. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and cover again to rest for a further 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 230℃/ 482℉/ Gas Mark 9.

Tip the dough out onto your work surface. Wet your hands slightly and fold the dough over itself a few times. Oil a Le Creuset Petal 26cm Shallow Casserole with some olive oil and scoop the dough into the dish. Spread the dough out with your hands to cover the surface of the casserole. Drizzle with more olive oil.

Using the prepped vegetables, form flower patterns on the surface of the dough and prove uncovered for another 20 minutes. Leeks for the flower stems, onion slices and pepper slices for the flowers, cherry tomatoes for flowers. After 20 minutes you should see little bubbles on the surface of the dough. Using your fingertips dimple the surface of the dough between the flower pattern and season with Maldon salt.

Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and slightly crisp. Rest for a few minutes and serve warm with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.