Focaccia

  • 2 ½ tsp active yeast
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 ½ cups of luke warm water 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for hands
  • 8g sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons Simba Mbili garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Simba Mbili rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon Simba Mbili paprika
  • Whisk the yeast, honey and water in a bowl and leave it for 5 minutes (it should form or at least get creamy)
  • Add the flour and salt and mix with a spatula until shaggy/ rough dough forms and no dry streaks remain. Do not need it, simply mix it in until its just comes together.
  • Pour 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the dough into a big bowl. Cover with cling film and let it rise at room temperature until double size for 1-3 hours. Meanwhile, can prepare topping of your choice.
  • Oil a large baking tray. Keep the dough in a bowl, lift the edges off the dough farthest from you and lift up and over into the centre of the dough. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process. Do this 2 more times, this deflates the dough while forming it into a ball. Place the dough onto the baking tray. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Let it rise, uncover, in a warm place until it has doubled in size about 1 ½ hours.
  • Preheat oven at 220 degrees Celsius
  • To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly. Make deep indications all over with your fingers, pushing the dough towards the corners of your baking tray.
  • Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle the flaky sea salt and Simba Mbili rosemary and paprika. Bake the focaccia until golden brown all over. 20-30 minutes.