Name: Easy no-knead focaccia bread
Prep time: 180 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 455ml lukewarm water; A drizzle of honey; 1 x 7g sachet instant dried yeast; 515g plain flour; 10g salt; Extra virgin olive oil; Flaked salt

The menu for this long lunch in Daylesford, Victoria, was inspired by the Italian region of Puglia, in Italy’s south, where our guest editor Kate Walker and her fiance Anthony are set to wed this year. What better way to celebrate this joyous union than to gather around the table with friends and enjoy grilled fish, indulgent burrata and fluffy focaccia in this gorgeous setting?

To start things off, this delicious focaccia bread recipe is sure to impress, needing only a few ingredients and a little stretching to create the perfect bread. To enhance the flavours, see our ideal wine pairing below to ensure a truly enjoyable taste experience.

For the rest of the menu, make sure to pick up the July issue of Home Beautiful magazine, on sale now. Or subscribe here and never miss an issue.

“Simple, quick and a bit messy, no-knead focaccia can be prepared all in the one tub.”
Tom Crowe, chef

A timber cottage and outdoor tablescape beneath autumn trees. — The table is set, ready for welcoming guests for lunch, while Mini Schnauzers, Raffy and Alfie are looking forward to the company. *(Photography: Nikole Ramsay / Styling: Nicole Grimsdale)*

Ingredients

455ml lukewarm water

A drizzle of honey

1 x 7g sachet instant dried yeast

515g plain flour

10g salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Flaked salt

Method

In a large plastic container with a tight sealing lid, mix water, honey and yeast to combine. Add flour and salt and mix (using the handle of a wooden spoon works well) until you have a shaggy, lumpy mess. Drizzle mix and tub lightly with oil and replace the lid to rest for 30 minutes.

With wet hands, try to take a ‘corner’ of the dough, lifting and stretching it loosely over the top of itself. It will be tricky at first as the dough will seem too wet but repeat with each corner, lifting the base with a dough scraper, if needed. Drizzle with oil, replace the lid and leave 30 minutes.

Repeat this ‘stretch and fold’ technique twice more. Each time, the dough should come together a bit more until you can lift it out of the tub, folding it over itself with a nice smooth surface.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper and drizzle well with oil.

Scrape dough into tray and cover with a tea towel to rise somewhere warm for an hour or until bubbles begin to form. With wet hands, press fingers into the focaccia to create the classic dimpled surface. Finish with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of flaked salt, bake for 20–30 minutes until golden.

Scotchmans Hill Pinot Gris. A bouquet of cut pear and spice with creamy barrel ferment notes and hint of oak. The tight mineral palette is a fresh and zesty counterpoint to the fruity, olive oil richness of focaccia.
Wine selection