BASIC FOCACCIA DOUGH
MAKES DOUGH FOR 1 LOAF
7g sachet instant yeast
500g strong white bread flour
115g strong wholemeal bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Mix the oil and 300ml tepid water in a jug and pour into the well, stirring until the dough is soft. If the dough is too dry add a little more liquid; if too wet, a little more flour.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes–1 hour.
Tip the risen dough onto the floured surface and knock back to its original size by punching it gently. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stretch out to a square roughly 28cm × 28cm. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for another 30 minutes.
Years ago an Italian girl invited us over for lunch: just rotisserie chicken, salad and store-bought pesto. Then she opened the oven and lifted out a freshly baked focaccia. Sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt, that bread turned a simple meal into one I haven’t forgotten.
ONION, ARTICHOKE AND BLACK OLIVE FOCACCIA
MAKES 1 LOAF
1 red onion, cut into wedges
6 artichokes in olive oil, drained and halved
handful pitted black olives
olive oil, for drizzling
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Make dimples in the dough with your fingertips. Gently push the topping ingredients into the dimples, then drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Serve warm.
ROSEMARY AND POTATO FOCACCIA
MAKES 1 LOAF
knob of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
315g small new potatoes, halved
3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
Start making the topping once the dough has been shaped and set aside for its second rise.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Tip in the potatoes and rosemary, and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender and lightly golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Make dimples in the dough with your fingertips. Top with the potato and rosemary mix, pushing the topping into the dimples. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over a little sea salt. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Serve warm.
VEGETABLE BREAD ROLLS
These are inspired by my daughters Inès and Bunny, who sneak away with tiny handfuls of dough when I’m cooking any sort of bread. Later, on the edge of my baking tray, I discover lovely little twisted rolls stuffed with morsels of vegetables, herbs or cheese. Serve with soup or an antipasto platter.
MAKES 12 ROLLS
6 slices grilled aubergine in olive oil, drained and halved lengthways
6 roasted red peppers in olive oil, drained and halved lengthways
3 rosemary sprigs, broken up
olive oil, for greasing and drizzling
Make the dough by following the instructions in the basic recipe but only leave it to rise for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll each into 6cm × 12cm rectangles. Lay a slice of aubergine and red pepper over each one, add some rosemary and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roll up into scrolls and transfer to an oiled baking tray. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Drizzle the scrolls with olive oil and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
EASY RAVIOLI
SERVES 4–6
400g ‘00’ flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 2 eggs for glazing
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 quantity ravioli filling (see recipes)
semolina, for dusting
60g butter, to serve
freshly grated parmesan cheese or a squeeze of lemon juice, to serve
Put the flour into the bowl of a food processor, add the beaten eggs and olive oil and pulse until the mixture resembles large grains of couscous. Remove from the processor and bring the mixture together with your hands. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and pass through all the stages on your pasta machine. You should end up with 4 long, thin sheets of pasta. Divide each sheet in half and lay them on a surface dusted with semolina.
Cut the pasta sheets into large triangles or rectangles and add 1 tablespoon of filling to one end of each piece. Lightly brush the edge of the pasta with beaten egg and fold the dough over to completely encase the filling. Press down with your fingers to seal, making sure you push out any air as you go. Transfer to a tray generously dusted with semolina and set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the ravioli to dry out.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the ravioli and cook for 3–4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve with melted butter and lots of freshly ground black pepper. If you’ve made one of the vegetarian ravioli, add grated parmesan to serve. For the prawn ravioli, finish with a light squeeze of lemon juice.
PRAWN AND DILL RAVIOLI FILLING
375g raw peeled prawns
2 tablespoons double cream
juice ½ lemon
2 tablespoons roughly chopped dill
Whiz half the prawns in a food processor with the cream, until smooth. Finely chop the remaining prawns and mix with the blended prawns, lemon juice and the dill. Season with