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Crispy caper focaccia

Rosie Ramsden's spin on focaccia brings a salty bite to this beloved Italian bread
Laura Edwards

Capers make their way into my focaccia so that I can use the brine for the resting dough. It seeps into the holes and gives the bread a salty crispness. Another option is sage and lemon, or turn a little turmeric into the dough at the start and add raisins after proving. 

Next, try Rosie's recipe for a delicious walnut and beetroot tart.

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  • Yield

    Serves 6

Ingredients

500g plain flour
I x 7 g sachet fast action dried yeast
1tbsp sourdough starter ( optional)
1tsp runny honey
90ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus
100g capers in brine
Flaked sea salt, to sprinkle
  1. Method

    Step 1

    Loosely toss the flour with 15g fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl to combine. In a separate bowl, mix 400ml lukewarm water with the yeast and sourdough starter, if using (it adds a nice tang and helps with rising), honey and 40ml olive oil, and leave for a minute to froth. Pour the mixture into the flour and salt, and stir into a thick, gloopy dough. Do not overmix, but make sure any dry flour has been incorporated. Cover and leave overnight to rise and ferment.

    Step 2

    In the morning, oil a 23cm deep, loose-bottomed cake tin and tip the dough into it. Leave, covered, to rise again for an hour, pulling the dough out to the edges of the tin if it shrinks back.

    Step 3

    Drain the capers, retaining the brine. Massage them into the airy dough and make indents in the top with your fingers. Brush over the caper brine and leave, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

    Step 4

    Heat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200°C/mark 7. Drizzle the dough with 25ml oil and sprinkle liberally with flaked sea salt. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove, drizzle with 25ml more oil and bake for a further 10 minutes until pillowy, golden and crisp on top. Allow to cool, release from the cake tin and slice to serve. 

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