Recipe: Focaccia with Olive Oil and Sage

In Plantkracht, Wouter Bijdendijk describes around thirty, mostly local plants and mushrooms that support the immune system, health, endurance, digestion, vitality and the brain. Each of these beneficial plants has been given two vegetarian recipes by Wouter’s brother, star chef Joris Bijdendijk. We’re kicking things off with focaccia with olives.

How to make focaccia with olives and sage

• Dissolve the dry yeast in the lukewarm water. Put the flour and fine salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the water with the yeast, together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Gently mix the flour into the liquid until a dough forms.
• Dust the work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, scraping along the sides of the bowl so that everything comes out.
• Knead for about 10 minutes, until your dough is soft and less sticky. Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place until it has doubled in volume.
• Grease the baking tin with a little olive oil and place the dough in it. Stretch it out to fill the tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 45 minutes or so.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220 °C.
• Drizzle the dough with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with the sage and fleur de sel. Press the olives about 1 centimetre into the dough.
• Bake the focaccia for 20 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.

Title: Plantkracht
Author: Wouter Bijdendijk
Price: €37,50
Publisher: Nijgh & van Ditmar

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