Olive & Rosemary Focaccia
Bring a touch of soulful Mediterranean flavors to your table with our olive and rosemary focaccia, made unforgettable by Wildly Virgin’s extra virgin olive oil. This golden-brown, crisp-crusted bread, adorned with black and green olives and the aromas of fresh rosemary, is a celebration of simple ingredients transformed into something extraordinary. Infused with our olive oil’s rich, grassy notes, each bite tells the story of Portuguese traditions and wild landscapes. Serve it as a show-stopping appetizer, alongside soups and stews, or enjoy it as a savory snack on its own. It’s the perfect blend of rustic charm and artisanal craft, brought to life in your kitchen.
Ingredients
2.5 cups lukewarm water (700ml)
2 cups cold water (575ml)
1/2 cup boiling hot water (115ml)
1 sachet dry yeast (8g)
5 cups all-purpose white flour (600g)
2.5 teaspoons sea salt (12g)
1.5 cups of pitted black and green olives (200g)
2 springs rosemary
6 tablespoons Wildly Virgin olive oil
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the lukewarm water, yeast and honey with a whisk and leave to sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast has foamed.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and whisk together. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and bring the dough together with your hands or a spatula until a shaggy and sticky dough forms.
Coat a large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of Wildly Virgin olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Coat the dough in the olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place into the fridge. Leave the dough to rise for a minimum of 6 hours but ideally for 24 hours. The dough will double in size and look bubbly.
Take the dough out of the fridge and fold it over itself in quarters. Gather up each edge of the dough with your hands and fold it over itself while turning the bowl. Divide the dough in 2 equal parts. The dough will deflate while you shape it into a neat ball.
Coat 2 round 8-9 inch (22cm) baking dishes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and transfer the dough ball to the baking dishes. Using your fingers, stretch the dough out slightly. There is no need to stretch the dough out to the edges of the pan as the dough will rise and spread. Cover the pan with a towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm area of your house for 3 - 4 hours. If your dough is uncovered there is a risk of too much air getting into the dough and creating a dry and crusty layer on top.
Preheat the oven to 390F (200C). Once the dough has risen, use your fingers to indent or dimple the dough. Scatter the olives and rosemary over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. This will help the crust of the dough get golden and crispy when baking. Finish off with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the dough has developed a golden crust on top.
Let the bread slightly cool before removing it from the baking tray. Place onto a wire rack and it’s ready to serve!
