Who doesn’t love focaccia? But this Eastern-style focaccia has a twist with the addition of Eastern spices and it goes well with salads, soups and all manner of Eastern-inspired dishes.
Ingredients
- 125g soured cream
- 150ml cold water
- 100ml boiling water
- 3tsp sea salt flakes, crushed
- 2tsp caster sugar
- 1 x 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast
- 550g strong, white bread flour
- 2tbsp cumin seeds
- 1tbsp ground coriander
- 1tsp dried chilli flakes
- 125ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
- 1tsp nigella seeds
- 1tsp sumac
Method
- You will need one of your Everhot ovens on at around 200ºC or thereabouts. Adjust cooking time according to your temperature, but you will need to cook at a minimum of 180ºC.
- Mix the soured cream with the cold and boiling water in a large bowl.
- Add the salt with the sugar and the yeast. Then blend in the flour, 2tbs of cumin seeds, the ground coriander, dried mint and chilli flakes until the mixture forms a rough ball.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place to rest for around 10 minutes.
- Line a large tin with non stick baking paper. I used a circular pizza tin. Place the dough on top. Stretch out the dough to the sides of the tin and using you fingers, make deep holes all over it. Try not to pierce the dough. Cover the tin with oiled cling film and leave the dough to rest for around one hour, longer if you have time.
- Once it has rested, remove the cling film and drizzle olive oil over it, ensuring it covers evenly. You can use a pastry brush to help spread the oil evenly.
- Sprinkle with uncrushed sea salt flakes, thyme leaves and nigella seeds and the remaining cumin seeds and sumac.
- Place the baking tray on the bottom rack of the top oven (or whichever oven you are using) and bake for around 30 minutes until golden brown.