It’s Design Technology Week this week and amongst the many activities taking place during this exciting week of learning, the children have been learning about Bread Baking. In this instance, Beech Class were learning how to make the Italian classic, Focaccia. The recipe and method can be found below:
Recipe:
- 500gms of strong white bread flour
- 350gms tepid water
- 1 sachet of fast acting dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Method:
Weigh out your dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Do not add the salt at this point. Once you have combined all of the dry ingredients minus the salt, add the water and mix well to form a shaggy dough. At this point, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt. Kneed for approximately 10 minutes until a firm dough is formed. If you have a stand mixer, the mixing can be done in a stand mixer. At this point, grease your tray liberally with olive oil and push your dough into the tray to cover the tray. Cover with cling film and set aside to proof for 1 1/2 hours.
After this proofing time, the dough should have at least doubled in size. Add the traditional dimples to the dough using your finger tips from a slightly oiled hand and then add your toppings to taste. In this case, the children chose Rosemary, tomatoes, olives, garlic and sea salt. At this point, cover again with cling film for a further 30 to 45 minutes. At this point, get your oven on and set to 240 degrees C.
After the 30-45 minutes, uncover and place in the middle section of your oven for 25 minutes turning the bread at 12 1/2 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove from the tray to allow to cool before eating.
Gallery:
Please click on the thumbnails for a larger view.