Focaccia With Garlic Confit

GARLIC CONFIT

Preheat the oven to 120c

Peel the garlic and place the garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary into an ovenproof dish. Cover in olive oil. It's important you cover the garlic completely or it will burn. Bake for 2 hours.

Allow to cool. You can keep this in the fridge for 2-3 weeks if in a sealed airtight container.

FOCACCIA

To make the dough: whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Add the water. Mix until you have a sticky dough ball. Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, cloth bowl cover, or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours (or up to two days)

I use a 9x13-inch pan. Now deflate the dough by pulling it from the sides of the bowl with your hands and roll it into a rough ball shape. Tip this into the pan and cover with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Leave to rest for 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat your oven to 220c. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil over the dough. Rub your hands lightly in the oil to coat, then, using all of your fingers and dimple the dough. Scatter the garlic confit cloves and rosemary over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 2 tablespoons of the garlic confit olive oil. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until golden

Let the bread slightly cool before removing it from the baking tray. Place onto a wire rack.

Slice the bread and enjoy on its own or dipped into the garlic confit olive oil with some balsamic vinegar.