Ingredients
- 240ml olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 470ml lukewarm water
- 14g dried yeast
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 650g strong flour
- Place the olive oil in a small pan with the finely grated garlic, herbs and black pepper. Place the pan over a low heat, stirring every so often, for 5-10 minutes. You do not want the garlic to take on any colour but it needs to smell aromatic. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
- In a large bowl mix the warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir well and leave to sit and bubble for five minutes.
- Add the flour and half of the infused olive oil to the bubbling yeasty water and mix well. While it is still craggy, add the salt and continue to mix. I use a dough hook in my stand mixer for this but it can also be done by hand, folding and mixing the dough until it forms a sticky but combined dough. Cover and leave in the kitchen or a slightly warm area for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Oil a high sided 9-13 inch tin. Tip the dough in and spread it over the base of the oiled tin. Dimple the surface with your fingers, then pour the remaining infused olive oil over the top. I like to sprinkle the top with crunchy sea salt flakes at this stage. Leave to prove for a further 20 minutes, then bake in a preheated oven at 230 degrees for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool slightly on a wire rack.
