Name: Focaccia with pesto & mozzarella
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500g strong white bread flour, plus some for dusting; 1 ½ tsp salt; 7g sachet fast-action yeast; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus some for drizzling; 125g ball mozzarella drained; 5 tbsp pesto (shop-bought or see recipe, below); sea salt to serve (optional)

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Focaccia with pesto & mozzarella

Focaccia with pesto & mozzarella

Good Food team

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Serves 4 - 6

More effort

Prep: 20 mins - 25 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Plus rising and proving

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.29 ratingsRate

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This homemade pesto bread is a delicious accompaniment to Italian food

Vegetarian

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Warm potato & cherry tomato salad

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

500g strong white bread

flour, plus some for dusting
1 ½ tsp salt
7g sachet fast-action yeast
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

plus some for drizzling
125g ball mozzarella

drained
5 tbsp pesto

(shop-bought or see recipe, below)
sea salt

to serve (optional)

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal638
fat20g
saturates6g
carbs96g
sugars2g
fibre4g
protein25g
salt2.42g

Method

step 1

Put the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Mix the yeast into 325ml tepid water. Add the water and oil to the flour, then mix well with a plastic scraper or your hands. When most of the liquid is incorporated, use your hands to bring all the ingredients together into a ball of dough.
step 2

Tip the dough out onto a worktop lightly dusted with flour and work it by pulling and stretching for at least 10 mins. Try to get as much air into it as possible. Put the ball of worked dough into a well-oiled bowl, cover with a little more oil and a tea towel or cling film. Leave to rest for 1 hr or so in a non-draughty warm spot, until doubled in size.
step 3

Now stretch the dough out onto a baking sheet until it’s about 20 x 30cm. Leave the dough to rise again to about half as high again, about 30-40 mins in a warm draught-free place, loosely covered with a tea towel.
step 4

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. When the dough has risen, press your fingers into it gently to make some holes. Bake for about 15 mins, then remove from the oven. Tear over the mozzarella, then bake for another 5-10 mins until golden and cooked through. Drizzle over the pesto and scatter with sea salt, if you like. Serve straight away.

RECIPE TIPS

PESTO GENOVESE

Put 50g basil leaves into a food processor and pulse to a pulp. Add 1 small garlic clove and 50g toasted pine nuts and whizz until mixed through. Stir in 125ml extra virgin olive oil and 25g grated Parmesan. Store leftovers in a sterile jar, topped up with a little olive oil to seal. Will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2009

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A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.29 ratings

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