Focaccia is my favourite type of Italian bread. I's not too hard to make and you can take it in loads of different directions by changing the toppings. I've gone for good old garlic and rosemary here but you could try combos like cherry tomatoes and basil or three cheese. Just keep it light and you'll be onto a winner.

serves 20

Ingredients

• • 1kg strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• • 625ml water, at room temperature
• • 3 x 7g sachets dried yeast
• • 2 tablespoons sugar
• • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• • olive oil
• • 1 bulb garlic
• • a few sprigs of rosemary

To make your dough

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• Tip your flour onto a clean surface or into a large bowl
• Pile it nice and high, then make a well in the middle to hold all the other ingredients
• Pour half the water into the well then tip in 3 sachets of yeast

To make your dough

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• Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of sea salt to the well
• Use a fork to gradually bring in the flour from the outside
• Once you get a stodgy, porridge consistency in the well, add the rest of the water and gradually incorporate the flour to make a smooth dough

To knead your dough

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• Dust a clean work surface and your hands with flour, then knead the dough, pushing and pulling it for about 5 minutes until it’s silky, springy and elastic
• Make the dough into a flat round shape and pop into a floured bowl
• Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size

To make your bread

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• Knock the air out of your bread using your fist then lightly flour your surface and knead it again until smooth
• Grease a baking tin (approximately 25cm by 30cm) well with olive oil and dust it lightly with flour
• Roll or stretch the dough out until it’s the right size for the baking tin and put it in the tin

To make your bread

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• Break the garlic bulb apart, leaving the skins on, then squash each one with the back of a knife
• Strip the leaves off your sprigs of rosemary
• Drizzle the garlic cloves and rosemary leaves with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix and scrunch them together with your fingers

To make your bread

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• Scatter the garlic and rosemary over the dough then use your fingers to push the flavours in and make little dimples on the surface
• Drizzle the dough with olive oil, cover with a tea towel then place the tray somewhere warm and leave for 1 hour, or until doubled in size
• Preheat your oven to 220ΊC/425ΊF/gas 7

To cook your bread

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• Poke the bread all over with your fingers again to give it great texture
• Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper
• Bake in the hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden with a crunchy surface

To serve your bread

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• Remove from the oven, give it a tap and if it sounds hollow then it’s cooked
• Tip it out onto a board, cut into chunks and tuck in
• Great with salads or as part of a barbecue spread