As the nights draw in our body need to become more starch orientated in anticipation of the cold winter months. This month’s recipe should relieve this craving in fine style and my fool proof recipe for foccacia will show that speciality breads are nothing to be afraid of, so please give it a go and enjoy with a warming bowl of your favourite soup.

Home Made Foccacia (Serves 6)

1. 500 gms Strong plain flour
2. 10gms Fine sea salt
3. 15gms Bakers yeast
4. 300mls Warm water
5. 30mls Extra virgin olive oil
6. (when finished sprinkle with olive oil and rock salt.)

Sieve flour into a mixing bowl.
Put the yeast into a jug with the warm water and olive oil, stir until yeast is dissolved.
Add salt to flour, then pour on the yeast and water/oil mix.
Work into a dough. Knead dough for 10minutes. Place the dough back into the bowl and leave to rest somewhere warm for 1hour.
When rested, knead the dough again for a further 10minutes then roll out to a thickness of 1½ inches, with yours fingers press into the dough to form craters roughly 2cm’s apart then sprinkle with olive oil and put somewhere warm on a baking sheet to prove until it has doubled in size.
Bake at 220ºc for 25minutes, check the base by tapping and you should hear a dull hollow sound, leave to cool on a rack and sprinkle with more olive oil and rock salt.
Serve with soups or pots of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping and a dish of olives for contrast as a rustic appetiser.