Sage and Garlic Focaccia

Photo: pepsakoy

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon heaped salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

175 ml warm water

7 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Topping:

coarse sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

a few sage leaves, roughly torn

Preparation

Stir together the flours, yeast, salt, sugar, sage and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and water then mix everything, using a dough hook to form a rough ball. Increase to medium speed and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto working surface, knead by hands for another 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough into a greased bowl, turn over once to get it coated with oil,cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1.5 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a greased baking tray ( 11"*7")without punching it down. Then gradually spread the dough with your figfers out evenly over the tray. Cover and let it rise again for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200c. Dimple the dough with your fingertips ,make sure you press them down deep enough. Brush the dough with 2 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle the sea salt over and decorate with sage. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before turning the bread out onto a wire rack to cool a bit more before served.