Focaccia is an Italian oven-baked flat bread which is great to have with any meal – be it a sandwich with a soup or with pasta. In this recipe I have slow-cooked fresh garlic which gives a beautiful sweet and roasted taste and takes away that harsh smell.

Serves 4 +

Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia

Ingredients

500g strong bread flour

20g polenta

15g salt

20g olive oil

10g dried yeast ( mixed with a little water )

300g water – tepid

1 x garlic bulb

100g butter

Rosemary – chopped

Sea salt

Method

Heat oven to 220c/gas mark 7

First you need to cook the garlic. To do this take a small frying pan and heat a small amount of butter. Cut the garlic in half through the middle so you have two flat pieces. Lay them into the butter and cook on a medium heat until the cloves start to colour. Now gradually add the rest of the butter and cook on a low heat allowing the garlic to simmer in the butter. This will slowly cook the garlic which can take 15-20 minutes or until the cloves are soft. Allow to cool in the butter.

In a large bowl add all of the dry ingredients and the olive oil then slowly add the yeast mix followed by the water. Keep mixing until all the water has been absorbed and a dough has formed. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough slightly for a few minutes. Work the dough into a ball.

Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the ball of dough inside. Move it around the bowl to coat it in the oil, score the top and cover with a cloth and allow to prove until doubled in size.

Next punch down the dough to its original size then roll out the dough to fit on to a greased baking tray.

Squeeze the garlic cloves out onto the dough along with some of the garlic butter. Using your finger tips push into the dough, pushing it outwards to work it into shape and incorporating the butter. Sprinkle with rosemary and a generous handful of sea salt.

Cover again with a cloth and allow to prove once again. Once doubled in size place in to the hot oven and cook for around 15 -20 minutes. Allow to cook on a wire rack and serve.

Gary Townsend is head chef at One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin, Glasgow.