Focaccia

The Ciabatta Bread Mix is a wonderful high hydration artisanal style bread mix. Because of the long slow fermentation, the bread will have a lot of depth of flavour and texture of propeer sourdough bread but without the diffuclty of making and mantaining a starter. The dough is made using cold water and little yeast, then refrigerated, you can use the dough anytime in the next 1-4 days.

This bread can be used for picnic sandwiches, torn into chunks to slurp up soups and dips, or cut into squares and filled for toasted “melts”.   

The recipe makes 1 large, or 2 medium-sized, flat and tasty Focaccias. 

Dough Ingredients

600gms Ciabatta Mix

1 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast

450-475gms cold water

2 tsp Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil

 

Oil Topping 

4-5tbs olive oil

1-2 tsp crushed garlic

1-2 tsp Herb & Garlic Mix

Extra Toppings 

3-4tbs of additional flavourings such as chopped olives, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, chillies, capsicums, herbs.

Mix

1. Measure the braedmix and yeast into a medium sized bowl, mix well. 
2. Add the water and oil mix only until the dough is just. blended and is a bit raggedy. This dough will be much more wet than usual bread dough.
3. Leave the dough for 20 minutes
4. Give the dough another quick stir for about 10 seconds. Leave for another 20 minutes

Stretch & Fold

1. Scrape out onto a lightly oiled bench, perform a set of Stretch & Folds, lift one end of the dough, stretch and fold back to the centre of the dough, repeat from the other end, then also from the topand bottom to the middle.
2. Oil a plastic food grade "box" that has a lid. Place the dough into the box, add the lid. Or instead of the "box" you can use a giant ziplock bag. Leave for another 20 minutes. 
3. Uncover the dough and perform a set of stretch & folds. Lift one end of the dough, stretch and fold back to the centre of the dough, repeat from the other end, then also from top and bottom to the middle. Turn the dough over, cover with lid or place back into the ziplock back.
4. Leave for another 10-20 minutes. if you have time, you can perform the Stretch & Folds and rest two more times. 
5. Place "box/bag" of dough into the fridge. You may need to do a S&F each day to stop dough from becoming to airy and escaping.

 

Preparing your Dough & Baking

1. Take the dough out of the fridge about 3-4 hours before you need to bake it. Leave in a vaguely warm spot, to come back to life. 
2. When dough is rising again, tip gently out onto a lightly floured surface. 
3. Place the dough into a multipurpose baking tray, lined with a baking mat/baking paper, brush the sides of the tray with oil. 
4. Press dimples into the dough with your fingertips, pushing the dough out towards the edges of the tray. Leave to rise in a warm place, for about 20-30 mins. 
5. Brush the oil topping over the dough. Add any additional toppings you may like. 
6. Gently dimple the dough with your fingertips to spread the dough further out to the edges of the tray, pressing a finger on each piece of olive, sun-dried tomato etc. 
7. Turn the oven on. 180*C Fanforced / 200*C Electric or Gas
8. Leave to recover for 10-15 mins. Bake for about 20-25 mins, until golden.

We love it dipped into some top quality extra virgin olive oil and dukkah as a nice dinner starter or nibbles with a glass of wine. 

 

Dukkah Recipe

This is a nutty Egyptian seasoning, serve with olive oil and chunks of bread. 

Ingredients 

½ cup sesame seeds

1tbs poppy seeds 

½ cup sunflower seeds

¾ cup almonds (blanched/slivered) or hazelnuts 

⅓ cup coriander seeds

3 tbs cumin seeds (or 1tbs cumin powder) 

3 tsp salt flakes

1 tsp garam masala 

1. Place all ingredients on a tray in a moderate oven. 
2. Dry roast for about 5-10 mins, until the colour of the almonds is lightly golden. 
3. When cold, pulse process in a food processor or grind in a mortar and pestle, until coarsely chopped and well blended. 
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.