HOMEMADE FOCACCIA

I attempted to make bread for the first time today! A sweet potato, red onion and sage focaccia to be exact. I had reservations about kneading bread, as I had heard that it was a bit of a bitch on your arm muscles. Maybe it was because of my excitement or because the amount of bread I made was quite small, but the kneading process was actually rather fun to me. Perhaps I won’t be saying that after baking an entire loaf of bread. The link below explains kneading in a very straightforward way. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWj8oHMPFm0

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 medium red onion (150-200g), finely sliced
• 400-450g sweet potato, cut into thin round slices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 7g dried yeast (2 teaspoons)
• Cooking oil spray
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 2-3 heaped tablespoons fresh shredded sage
• 1 tablespoon ground sage 

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius fan-forced. Lightly spray a baking tray (the measurements of the one I used were 15cm x 26cm). 

2. Place sweet potato slices on a large plate and cover with glad wrap. Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes or until slices are tender. 

3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add red onion and stir for 3-5 minutes or until onion is soft and transparent. 

4. Combine salt, yeast, flour, garlic, warm water and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Place the dough on a floured surface (such as the kitchen bench or a floured chopping board) and make sure your hands are covered in flour. Knead the dough for around 5 minutes or until smooth. (NB- A really good idea is to do the test that they do in the youtube link above to see if the bread is kneaded enough). 

5. Press the dough into the oiled tin. Place the sweet potato slices and red onion on top of the dough. Sprinkle the ground sage over the vegetables evenly. Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until the bread is golden. Add shredded sage to serve. 

x E