Cherry Focaccia...oops...the recipe!

Ingredients

30g yeast

550ml warm water, plus more if needed

1kg strong flour 

200g golden caster sugar

pinch sea salt

120ml light olive oil, plus extra for dribbling

1.5kg cherries stoned

Notes: I halved the recipe and also did a mix of white & wholegrain flour.

- Crumble the yeast into the water & mix until smooth. Put the flour, half of the sugar & the salt into the bowl of a food processor with the dough hook in place. Start the motor & slowly pour in the yeast, then the olive oil. Knead until it becomes smooth & elastic.

- Lightly grease a large bowl & turn out the focaccia dough into it. Cover with a damp tea towel & place it by the Aga/somewhere warm for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

- When the bread has had its first proving, knock it back by punching the air out. Line a large roasting tin with a large piece of bake-o-glide or grease proof paper( make sure you grease the tin) & shape the dough into the tin, stretching it to fit. Scatter over the cherries & using your fingers, press them into the dough, giving it a dimpled effect. Leave the tin by the Aga/ warm place for its second proving & when it has doubled in size, drizzle over a little olive oil & the remaining sugar.

- Place the tin on the floor of the Roasting Oven & bake the bread for 20-25 minutes. If it browns too quickly insert the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners.

- Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then remove the bake-o-glide/grease proof paper & move on to a wire rack to finishing cooling.

For Conventional Cooking:

Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees/425 Fahrenheit/gas 7 & continue as above.

Recipe from Amy Willcock's Aga Seasons

If you make the whole loaf, keep half in the freezer in slices. very nice toasted!