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WHITE SODA FOCACCIA WITH CHEESE

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  • Vegetarian
What does this mean?

I made two smaller loaves, and the cooking time was less than 15 minutes, which is why I was able to get this onto the table so quickly. The longest part was waiting for the oven to come to temperature - and I had to defrost the buttermilk! This is a recipe from Rachel Allen's book Rachel's Favourite Food. It is suggested in the book that, to make it your own, you could leave out the cheese and add instead rosemary, raw red onion, olives and seasalt, or anything else that you like:)

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Ingredients

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  • olive oil
  • 450 grams plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt (level)
  • 125 grams Cheddar cheese (grated, or Parmesan cheese)
  • 414 ml buttermilk

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees C 450 F gas 8. Brush a Swiss roll tin or baking tray generously with olive oil.
  2. Sieve the flour and bread soda into a big bowl and add the salt and 50g (1 3/4 oz) of the grated cheese. Mix with your hands and make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the buttermilk, and with one hand stiff and your fingers spread out like a claw, start mixing in a full circle one the buttermilk has gone in.
  3. Keep mixing like this until you have a soft dough. Don't knead it, but rather work it very gently to bring it together.
  4. Transfer to a floured surface and roll it out to about 35 x 20 cm (14 x 8 in) and transfer it to the oiled tray. Press your fingertips into the top to create wells for the olive oil. Brush the top with the oil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  5. Put it in the oven and cook for about 18 - 25 minutes depending on how thick it is. Turn the oven down to 200 C, 400 F, gas 6 after 10 minutes. When cooked, it should feel firm in the centre and be gorgeously golden brown.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for a couple of minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

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