Have you been brushing up on your baking skills whilst in lock down? This beautiful Italian focaccia is packed with roasted garlic, Evesham cherry tomatoes and rosemary. Give this easy baking recipe a go – it’s a classic you’re sure to return to again and again.

Ready in; 70 minutes, plus proving time

Serves; 12

Ingredients

500g strong white bread flour

2 x 7g dried yeast sachets

1 tbsp sugar, plus extra tsp for baking

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for kneading, greasing and serving

1 bulb garlic, top sliced off

150g Evesham cherry tomatoes

Small handful rosemary sprigs

Method

Add the flour to a mixing bowl and make a well.  Add the yeast, sugar and 100ml warm water. With a fork, gently mix the ingredients together and leave for a few minutes (until the yeast has dissolved and starts to foam).

Add another 150ml of warm water, olive oil and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, stirring until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a disc and transfer to a large, oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the topping of your bread. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Wrap the garlic bulb in kitchen foil, ensuring it is tightly sealed. Roast directly on the oven shelf for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Once cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out the cloves and set aside, until needed.

Put the tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Season and set aside, until needed.

Lightly grease a deep 20cm x 30cm (8in x 12in) roasting tin with oil. Tip the dough into the tin and stretch it out to fill the edges and corners. Using oiled fingers, make rows of evenly spaced dimples over the surface of the dough and press in the garlic cloves and tomatoes. Scatter over the rosemary. Cover with oiled clingfilm and set aside to prove for a further 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Scatter the remaining sugar and a little sea salt over the dough. Bake the dough on the middle shelf for 30 minutes, or until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes.

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