Sage and Hazelnut Focaccia

This recipe is from: Ursula Ferrigno – Italy from Sea to Sky. A book I love.

(Since I didn’t have any nuts, I skipped those when I made this bread.
The bread tasted very good, though.)

You need to start a day ahead.

Ingredients for the three elements of the recipe:

1. Biga ingredients
2.5g fresh yeast
150 ml lukewarm water
125 g strong white flour

2. Dough ingredients
10 g fresh yeast
85 ml lukewarm water
1.5 tsp. salt (my book is from the UK. British tsp. have a 5ml volume
and are NOT level but heaped)
375 g strong white flour
20 fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
85 ml white wine

3 Topping ingredients
Olive oil
Sea salt
About 10 fresh sage leaves, torn
150 g skinned hazelnuts, toasted

Method for 1:
Dissolve yeast in water, then add flour. Let rise for 12-26 hours, until
loose & bubbly.

Method for 2:
- dissolve yeast in water
- - in large bowl, mix salt & flour
- make well in center, add sage, biga, yeast mixture, oil
- combine
- add wine,
- mix until you have a soft, sticky dough
- turn out on floured surface, knead for about 10 mins until silky &
smooth & elastic
- place in an oiled bowl, cover
- leave to rise until doubled in seize, 1.5-2 hours

After rising:
- knock back and chafe (i.e. more kneading)
- - roll out to approximately 1 cm think
- -put on oiled baking sheet
- - prove (rise) for another hour – until doubled in size

After 2nd rising:
- press dimples into top of dough with fingers
- sprinkle with toppings (see 3)

Bake in preheated over for 30 mins, 200 degrees C or 400 degrees F
Bread is ready when it sounds hollow when tapped.

After baking, sprinkle on some extra oil.