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Preserved lemon and olive focaccia

Preserved lemons originate from North Africa and have recently grown in popularity here in the UK. Soaking lemons in salt water doesn’t sound like a radical concept, but it utterly transforms the often harsh flavour of lemon into something much mellower. You can bite straight into a slice of preserved lemon without any of that jaw-clenching sharpness, which allows you to enjoy the aromas and textures of lemon in a new way. I also use lemon-infused oil, which you can buy from good supermarkets, as the main oil in this dough, which disperses a gentle lemon flavour throughout.

MAKES 1 LOAF

PREP TIME: 30 MINS PLUS PROVING TIME

COOKING TIME: 20 MINS

500g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 × 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

2 tsp fine salt

30ml lemon-infused oil (or olive oil), plus extra olive oil for greasing

300ml lukewarm water

2–3 preserved lemons

100g pitted green and black olives

Sprig of fresh thyme, leaves stripped

Sea salt, for sprinkling

1 Place the flour in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment and add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt to the other. If you put the salt directly on the yeast it may kill it, which will stop your dough from rising.

2 Add the oil and 225ml of the water to the flour and stir the ingredients together using your hands or the dough-hook attachment until a rough dough forms. Gradually add the remaining water. The dough will be very wet, but don’t worry – this is what creates the irregular holes in a focaccia.

3 Liberally grease your worktop with oil and turn the dough out on to it (or leave it in the stand mixer, if using). Knead for about 10 minutes, in the mixer or by hand, oiling your hands and the surfaces as necessary, until the dough is really smooth and stretchy. I find that using a dough scraper helps stop the dough sticking to the worktop. When you pull the dough apart, the strands should stretch, not break. Grease the bowl with oil and place the dough back into it (if you were kneading it on the worktop), cover with clingfilm and leave to rise at room temperature for 1–3 hours until doubled in size.

4 While the dough is rising, thinly slice the preserved lemons and set aside. Generously grease a baking tray with olive oil.

5 Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and turn it out on to a lightly floured worktop. You don’t want to handle the dough too much, so don’t knead it, just stretch it out to a large rectangle, then place it on the baking tray. Spread it right to the edges and use your fingers to make indentations over the surface of the dough.

6 Press the olives into some of the indentations and arrange the preserved lemon slices and thyme leaves on the top. Cover the dough loosely with oiled cling film and leave to rise for another 30 minutes. When the focaccia looks puffy, it’s ready to bake.

7 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. When the focaccia is risen, use your fingers to press a few more indentations into the dough, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, then remove from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.