Olive Focaccia

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 500 g flour
• 40 g yeast
• 250 ml water, lukewarm
• 150 g black olives
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g green olives
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 1 chili pepper(s), dried
• 4 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Mix the yeast with a little of the water, pour it into the well, and stir in a little flour to form a thick dough. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Let this pre-dough rise until the surface cracks. Meanwhile, pit the black olives and chop them roughly. Sprinkle the salt over the flour in the bowl, add the remaining water, olive oil, and the chopped olives. Knead everything for 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic, and soft dough. Brush a baking tray with a little olive oil. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the size of the tray and add it. Pit the green olives (if necessary), but leave them whole. Spread them over the dough and press them in gently. Pluck the rosemary needles from the sprigs and scatter them on top. Finely crush the chili pepper in a mortar and pestle and sprinkle over the focaccia. Sprinkle everything with coarse salt. Cover the focaccia with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. Bake the olive focaccia on the lowest rack in an oven preheated to 220°C (425°F) for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle generously with olive oil, and enjoy lukewarm or cooled, but preferably fresh. Tip: The focaccia is ready in a flash if you use store-bought pizza dough. Briefly knead the chopped black olives into the dough, roll it out, top with the remaining ingredients, let it rise for another 10-15 minutes, and then bake immediately.