rosemary, olive & tomato focaccia

The delicious Italian focaccia bread is perfect in summer, topped with fresh seasonal ingredients, perhaps from your garden – juicy tomatoes, perfumed sprigs of fresh rosemary and olives.

• 2 teaspoons fresh yeast
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 450 g gluten-free white bread flour OR 3½ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour plus 1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
• 300 ml/1 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 20 pitted black olives, halved
• sprigs of fresh rosemary
• olive oil, for drizzling
• sea salt flakes

a 33 x 23-cm/13 x 9-inch shallow-sided baking tin/pan, greased with olive oil

Makes 1 large loaf

Put the yeast, honey and warm water in a cup and leave for 10–15 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture, warm milk, eggs, vinegar, buttermilk and fine salt and whisk together until everything is incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin/pan, cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size and risen.

When the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F) Gas 5. Press the tomatoes, olives and rosemary into the top of the mixture, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30–40 minutes, until the bread springs back to the touch and has a crusty top.

This bread is best eaten warm on the day it is made.