Focaccia with salt, rosemary and honey macadamia butter crust

Soft, golden and aromatic, this focaccia makes the perfect side to share.
The honeyed macadamia butter crust adds richness and depth, balancing the salt
and rosemary beautifully. Serve warm from the oven alongside grilled meats, fresh
salads or antipasto.

SERVES 6

Ingredients

Crusty Topping

• ½ cup macadamias
• 1 tbsp honey
• 50 mls olive oil
• 2 tbsp rosemary (about 2 sprigs), chopped
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt

Focaccia

• 450 g bread flour
• 1 sachet dried yeast
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 410 ml cold water
• 50 ml olive oil plus 3 tablespoons for oiling the pan

Instructions

1. For the topping, place the macadamias and honey in a small food processor and
   process until combined. Continue to process until the mixture is a smooth butter.
2. Set aside.
3. For the focaccia, place the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl, ensuring the salt is
   not directly touching the yeast. Pour over the water and olive oil and, using your
   hands, mix to form a wet dough.
4. Scrape your hands, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
5. Use 2½ tablespoons of olive oil to generously coat a 20 x 28cm baking pan. Remove the dough from the fridge and, turning the bowl as you go, carefully fold four edges into the centre. Tip the dough, folded side underneath, into the prepared tin, gently stretching it towards the corners to cover most of the base of the pan. It will further cover the pan as it rests.
6. Rest for 2½ hours.
7. Preheat oven to 220°C. To bake the focaccia, drizzle the olive oil for the topping
   evenly over the dough and dot with teaspoons of macadamia butter. Use your fingers to press dimples all over the dough, reaching to near the bottom of the tin so that the oil and macadamia butter pool in the finger indentations.
8. Sprinkle with the rosemary and salt and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. A good test is to tap the bread in the centre and if it sounds hollow, it is cooked.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before carefully tipping and turning upright onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe and image supplied courtesy of Australian Macadamia Society.

Golden focaccia infused with honeyed macadamia butter, rosemary and sea salt is soft, aromatic and irresistibly moreish straight from the oven.