Recipe: ’Nduja focaccia with tomatoes and rosemary

Making the soft and delicious bread from scratch is more straightforward than you think and tastes amazing

Serves 8 as an antipasto

Ingredients

900g (2lb) strong white bread flour

100g (3½oz) semolina, plus extra for the tin

35g (1¼oz) fresh yeast

Pinch of caster (superfine) sugar

15g (½oz) salt

30ml (1fl oz) good olive oil, plus extra to finish

500–550ml (17–19fl oz) lukewarm water

150g (5½oz) cherry tomatoes, halved and tossed in 3 tbsp good olive oil

100g (3½oz) ’nduja

Flaky sea salt

Roughly chopped rosemary leaves

Method

• Mix the flour and semolina together in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the yeast with the sugar. Add the salt, olive oil and 500ml (17fl oz) of lukewarm water to the yeast and sugar and mix. 

• Tip the yeast mixture into the flour and mix – by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook – to a soft but not sticky dough (you may need to add more water or flour). This will take about 5 minutes in a machine.

• Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about one hour, until doubled in size.

• During this time, oil a roasting tin and sprinkle it with semolina. Gently spread out the dough in the prepared tin to a rectangle or square. 

• Mix the halved cherry tomatoes and ’nduja together in a bowl, then scatter all over the dough, positioning the tomatoes cut-sides upwards and pushing them down level with the top of the dough. Sprinkle over the flaky salt and rosemary. Leave to prove in a warm place for 10–15 minutes, until risen.

• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven at the same time. 

• Once proved, bake the focaccia for 10–15 minutes, until golden and it sounds hollow when tapped on the base. 

• Drizzle more olive oil over the top as soon as the bread comes out of the oven, then leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve in slices with some burrata or mozzarella, or on its own.

This recipe appeared in the May/Jun issue of Irish Country Magazine in 2021 and was taken from The Italian Deli Cookbook by Theo Randall.