Bread projects
Rosemary Olive Kefir Focaccia
This focaccia rises airy inside, browns underneath, and carries rosemary and olives across a deeply dimpled surface.
Make it
Method
- Mix flour, yeast, and salt. Add water, kefir, and 15 ml olive oil. Stir until no dry flour remains.
- Cover for 20 minutes. With wet hands, stretch one side up and fold it over. Turn the bowl and repeat four times.
- Cover and rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until airy and about doubled.
- Coat a 23 cm square pan with 20 ml oil. Ease in the dough, turn it once, and rest for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 230°C. Oil your fingers with the remaining 10 ml oil and press deep dimples. Add olives and rosemary.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply bronzed. Lift from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes.
Wet dough needs gentle handling
A wet dough can support an open crumb when fermentation and baking are right, but water alone does not guarantee large holes. Fold with wet hands, preserve the air during transfer and watch the dough expand in the pan before dimpling.
Store it
Best the same day. Cool fully and keep airtight for up to 2 days, or freeze.
Thyme or no olives
Use 3 g fresh thyme instead of rosemary. Olives can be omitted without replacing their weight.
Wet dough is expected
This is a sticky dough. Wet your hands for folding and use oil for the pan; adding flour until it feels like a firm kneaded loaf changes the crumb. Let it expand again in the pan before dimpling, and cool out of the pan so the base does not steam.