Wild garlic loves this damp, shady corner of our garden. We keep the majority of it contained within an old galvanised wash tub, but if you look closely, you can see that it’s managed to escape and grow in the cracks of the flags!
I harvested a few of the leaves to go in a wild garlic sourdough focaccia; wild garlic and wild yeast!
In less than a minute, I blitzed the leaves with some olive oil into a liquid about the consistency of a vinaigrette.
The dough took a little longer to be ready… about 12 hours in a cool cloakroom.
Depending on the size of your baking tray(s), the recipe makes 2 small or one large loaf. I used a large tray – 39cm x 27cm (15″ x 10½”).
It’s absolutely delicious – moist yet airy – and full of intense flavour. Perfect for accompanying pasta dishes, salads, antipasti and cheeses.
Click here to save my recipe to Pinterest for later
- 190g/7⅔oz sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 310g/11oz tepid water
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp runny honey
- 500g/17⅔oz 00 flour
- 4g/⅛oz salt
- 6 leaves of wild garlic
- 5tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp coarse salt crystals or flakes
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the starter with the water, olive oil and honey
- With the dough hook attached and on a low speed, slowly add the flour and knead for around 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Leave to rest for 10 minutes
- Add the salt, kneading until it's fully combined
- Allow to prove until doubled in size (depending on the temperature, this could be anywhere from 2 hours in a warm kitchen to overnight in the fridge. Make it fit in with your plans and schedule)
- Once sufficiently proved, preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6. If you have one, put your baking stone on a shelf in the bottom ⅓rd of your oven
- Coat a baking tray(s) liberally with olive oil, making sure you include up the sides
- Gently pour the dough into the centre of the oiled tray and carefully ease it towards the corners. You don't want to deflate the air pockets
- Cover with greased clingfilm and allow to prove again in a warm place for about an hour
- Make rows of indentations across and down into the dough, drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with the coarse salt and bake for 15 minutes
- Remove from the oven and spread the wild garlic oil over the top.
- Turn the tray 180º (to ensure even browning) and return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown
- Remove from the oven, take the loaf off the baking tray(s) and allow to cool on a wire rack for a couple of minutes
- Slice and serve
- This bread is perfect for mopping up tomatoey or cheesy pasta sauces!
Cakes & Bakes: Sourdough Focaccia
I hunted around the internet for a sourdough focaccia recipe that I liked the look of and finally came across one on the Grain Mill Wagon blog. It’s easy to prepare, I left the dough to prove overnight in the coldest room in the house then, in the morning, added the toppings and popped it in the oven.
It was lovely teamed with a big green salad, a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping into and glass of wine!
Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
- Dough
- 1½ cups fed & bubbly sourdough starter
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 1½ tbsp olive oil I used about double this amount as I felt my dough was a bit dry
- 2½ cups freshly ground flour of your choice plus more
- Toppings
- sliced tomatoes I omitted this
- chopped garlic I used a mini bulb of Italian Malvi Cervati garlic that comes in a woven basket from Lidl - you just thinly slice the bulb - there are no cloves to fiddle with!
- chopped fresh herbs I just used sprigs of fresh rosemary
- olive oil
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- grated cheese optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together sourdough starter, water, sea salt and olive oil
- Pour flour onto the wet mixture and stir to incorporate
- Continue to add flour little by little until you have a nice, easy kneading consistency. If your dough is too dry, add a little more water
- Pull the dough out onto your counter top and knead for a few minutes. You're looking for a soft and smooth (not sticky) dough
- Cover your dough with a cloth and allow it to rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes
- Generously oil a large rolled cookie sheet or use your pizza stone with parchment paper
- Roll out the dough into your desired shape (rectangle or circle)
- Gently gather up the rolled dough and transfer it into the cookie sheet or pizza stone
- If needed, roll it out some more or use your fingers to spread/stretch the dough to fit the cookie sheet or pizza stone
- Cover with cling film and let it rise in a warm place for at least 8 hours
- Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C/Gas Mark 8
- Brush the dough with olive oil and top it with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, sea salt and black pepper.
- Drizzle more olive oil on top
- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Slice it up and serve it hot. Enjoy!
