Picota Cherry and Feta Focaccia
Try this wonderful yeast-bake to make the most of delicious Picota cherries.
Serves 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus approx. 1 hour 40 minutes rising time
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Suitable for vegetarians
Ingredients
500g strong white bread flour
1 sachet (7g) dried yeast
1tsp salt
1tsp caster sugar
2tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
325ml tepid water
Plain white flour, for dusting
150g Picota cherries, pitted
150g feta cheese, cut into chunks
A few rosemary sprigs
2-3 pinches of sea salt
Method
1 Put the flour into a bowl and stir in the yeast. Add the salt, sugar, chopped rosemary, oil and water and mix well with your hand. Bring the dough together to form a ball.
2 Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead it vigorously by pulling and stretching it for at least 10 minutes. Put the dough into a large well-oiled bowl to rise for an hour in a warm
draught-free spot, covered with a clean tea towel.
3 Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead gently for about 20 seconds. Roll it out or stretch it out to fit a large rectangular baking tray or roasting tin. Leave the dough to rise for about 30-40 minutes in a warm draught-fee place, loosely covered with a tea towel.
4 Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200°C/Gas mark 7.
5 When the dough has risen, gently use your fingertips to make indentations over the surface and tuck in the cherries, feta cheese and rosemary sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Cook’s tip: It’s wonderfully satisfying to make your own yeast-bakes, so plan ahead so that you have enough time in the kitchen.
