Making your own focaccia might seem daunting, but trust me, it’s so much easier than you think! I made this Rosemary & Potato Focaccia few times and everytime it turned out perfectly, slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I absolutely love the addition of potatoes and rosemary which make it even more delicious! For this recipe I have used Pembrokeshire Earlies potatoes which have a gorgeous buttery flavour and texture, great also in salads and casseroles.

Ingredients: 

500gr strong white bread flour + extra for dusting 

Around 250gr of Pembrokeshire Earlies potatoes or new potatoes

1 7gr sachet of fast-action yeast 

9 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 

A generous pinch of sea salt 

A bunch of fresh rosemary 

Start by cooking the potatoes in boiling water until they are soft when pierced through with a fork. Drain them and leave them onto one side to cool down.

In a large mixing bowl add 175ml of boiling water with 100 ml of cold water. Add in the yeast, a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Give everything a good whisk and then gradually add in the flour.  Keep mixing with a spoon until a dough starts to form. Then remove dough from the bowl, dust your woking surface with some flour and start kneading the dough with your hands. Stretch the dough for about 10-15 minutes. It should be elastic and soft, add more flour is too wet. 

Grease a large bowl some olive oil then add the dough to the bowl and brush it with some more olive oil. Cover the bowl with a couple of tea towels and place it in warm place for around 1 hour or until has doubled in size.

Grease a large baking tray ( about 27cm x 38cm) using some olive oil. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently stretch it out on the tray. Use your fingers to press it out in the corners. Cut the boiled potatoes into wedges and distribute them on the focaccia with the rosemary springs. Cover the tray again with tea towels an place it back in the warm spot for another 45 minutes. Half way through preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. 

Remove the tea towels and drizzle over 3-4 tbsp of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy on top. 

Remove the focaccia from the oven and while still warm drizzle 2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil on top plus another generous pinch of salt. Transfer the focaccia to a chopping board, slice it and enjoy it!