Cherry and chocolate focaccia
By OcadoLife
Published on 27 March 2023
This recipe needs minimal effort – you just need the patience to let it prove overnight.Time and servings
1 hrTotal time
12Servings
30 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 400 g of cherries, halved and stoned
- 660 g of strong white bread flour
- 0.5 tsp of dry yeast
- 2 tsp of caster sugar, plus 2tbsp for topping
- 2.5 tsp of fine salt
- 3.5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 70 g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or less, vegan if required), chopped
- 1 tbsp of demerara sugar, for sprinkling
- 1 pinch of sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
Method
Step 1
Make the dough the day before. Combine the flour, yeast, 2tsp sugar and 2tsp salt in a bowl (an electric mixer isn’t necessary for this no-knead recipe). Pour in 500ml tepid water and 1tbsp olive oil and work into a smooth dough, using your hands, until well combined with no lumps of flour left (less than 1 min). It will be very sticky. Drizzle ½tbsp oil on the dough and smooth it over the surface with your hands. Cover the bowl and set aside to prove for 8-12 hrs at room temperature. After 8 hrs it will have grown significantly, becoming light with air bubbles – a sign that it’s ready to use – but it’s fine to leave the dough for up to 12 hrs.Step 2
Preheat oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas 9. Line the base of a 40cm x 30cm roasting tin with baking paper. Drizzle a little oil into the tin and use your hands to spread it over the sides and base. Use oiled hands to ease the dough out of the bowl into the tin and stretch it out to fill the tin. Scatter with the chocolate, pushing it into the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and prove for 1 hr.Step 3
Grease your hands and push your fingers into the dough to make large dimples. Scatter over the cherries; push half into the dough and leave the rest on the surface. Stir 1tbsp caster sugar and ½tsp salt in a jug with 2tbsp each of olive oil and tepid water. When the sugar has dissolved, pour over the focaccia and immediately bake in the top half of the oven for 25-30 mins.Step 4
Combine 1tbsp each of caster sugar and tepid water, brush over the focaccia, then sprinkle with demerara and sea salt. Cool for 10 mins in the tin then move to a wire rack. It’s best eaten on the day, warm or at room temperature.