Extra Fluffy Hummus Focaccia with Garlic Herb Oil
+ Spiced Tomato Hummus.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREP + COOK TIME: 4 hours
Ingredients
✴
Ingredients ✴
Hummus Focaccia:
3 ½ cups (525g) plain flour (fluff the flour up before you measure it)
¾ cup wholemeal flour (fluff the flour up before you measure it)
2 tsp table salt
2 tsp brown sugar or runny honey
1 ¾ tsp instant dry yeast (make sure you are using instant yeast)
1 ½ cups (375ml) warm water
1x 200g tub Lisa’s gloriously garlic hummus
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup crispy roasted chickpeas (see tip)
Garlic Herb Oil:
6 fat cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped coriander or Italian flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely chopped dill
1 small mild green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
¾ tsp each flaky sea salt & za’atar
To Serve (optional):
1x 200g tub Lisa’s gloriously garlic hummus
1 quantity spiced tomato dip (recipe below)
Fresh dill fronds & mint leaves, to garnish
Pickled vegetables
Directions
✴
Directions ✴
Hummus Focaccia: Add both the flours, salt, sugar and yeast to a large mixing bowl and whisk together (if using honey instead of sugar, add it with the wet ingredients). Add the water, hummus and 1 Tbsp of the olive oil. Use a rubber spatula to mix everything together, until no dry streaks of flour remain - it should be a very sticky/wet dough. Cover the bowl with a damp teatowel or cling film and set aside in a warm place to rise for 3 hours. Every hour, do a stretch and fold on the dough by grabbing and stretching the dough up from the edges then back into itself in the bowl about 4 times. Cover the bowl tightly again after each stretch and fold. While the dough rises, make the garlic herb oil and spiced tomato dip (if using).
After 3 hours, line a medium lipped oven tray or baking tin (mine was 19 x 27 cm) with baking paper and drizzle over 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Tip the dough into the tin. Press the dough firmly into the tin with your fingertips, deflating the dough as you press it in. Drizzle the dough evenly with another 3 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside in a warm place to rise for a further 45 minutes, or until the dough is puffy and risen. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 220°C regular bake.
Once the dough has risen, sprinkle the chickpeas over the top (if using). Using oiled hands, press your fingertips all over the dough about 10 times to create the dimples. Drizzle over a little extra olive oil if the surface dough looks a bit dry. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-28 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, before drizzling the herb oil over the top.
Garlic Herb Oil: Heat the olive oil in a small pot on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, remove from the heat and add the chopped garlic (it should bubble up straight away). Swirl the garlic and oil together in the pot for about 30 seconds, then pour the hot garlic oil into a small heatproof bowl. Set the oil aside to cool completely. Once completely cooled, stir through the herbs, green chilli (if using), flaky sea salt and za’atar. Set aside until ready to use.
To Serve: Spread the hummus over a serving plate, create a shallow well in the middle. Spoon the spiced tomato dip into the well (if using, recipe below). Decorate the hummus with some dill fronds if desired. Serve the hummus, focaccia and pickled vegetables on a platter. Decorate the platter with some fresh mint leaves if desired!
Tip* For the crispy roasted chickpeas - drain and rinse a can of chickpeas in brine. Pat dry well with a clean towel. Transfer the chickpeas to a medium oven tray and drizzle with 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil. Season well with salt and toss together. Roast at 200°C for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Spiced Tomato Dip:
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp mild chilli flakes
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 cup Mutti tomato polpa
2 tsp brown sugar or runny honey
½ tsp table salt
Heat the olive oil in a small pot on medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant and the garlic is just starting to colour. Add the paprika, tomato polpa, honey and salt. Stir together and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for a further 15 minutes, stirring often, until it is reduced and glossy. Transfer to a container and set aside in the fridge to cool.