The Bread Recipes 'No3' Wild Spring Greens Focaccia

In April and May I am adding in wild greens like crazy to many meals and bakes. Try starting with easy to identify wild garlic, nettle tips or perhaps add in some bramble buds if you are confident in your identification! If you are particularly lucky and know of a hedgerow with hops shoots appearing, they lend themselves incredibly well to this focaccia.

Below is the link to my recipe as featured in Country & Town House, thanks gang! Or you can simply scroll down for it too. I am just quite proud to have been published by them for a second time! 💚

Spring Greens Focaccia Recipe

These depicted have wild garlic, chilli and cheese in them.

I also like to add a good handful of whatever cheese is to hand too, and in need of using up. I particularly like using reduced price cheese that I have bought for a song and previously frozen.

‘Wild Spring Greens Focaccia’ (Overnight rise)

Ingredients:

500g/4 cups of bread flour - Any will work, however I like to use Shipton Mill Pizza & Pasta Type 00 Organic White Flour (120)

One generous handful of wild greens (Please see notes below)

Olive oil

Sea salt

1x7g sachet/2 tsps instant yeast

470g/2 cups tepid water

Oddments of cheese (optional)

You will also need a medium sized oven proof dish. Ceramic, glass or tin all work well for this recipe.

Method:

Roughly chop your wild greens up as you like, I tend to do mine quite chunky to add texture.

Add these and the other ingredients (asides the olive oil) to a mixing bowl and combine with a spatula.

Then continue with the spatula for a few more minutes if you so wish, or let your hands take over and combine some more until you are happy that every last bit of dry flour is incorporated.

Add a generous glug of olive oil to your medium sized baking dish and ensure it is well oiled including the sides.

Press your dough into it, making sure it is spread out evenly and to all edges.

Place on a shelf in the fridge covered with oiled cling film or a damp tea towel until the next day. I like to leave mine for a minimum of twelve hours often prepping in the evening, but this will happily continue slow rising for up to thirty-six or so.

Remove from the fridge and it’s covering and prod it all over with a finger or two to create indentations. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of sea salt. Leave to rise on your kitchen side for around an hour, preheating the oven to 200c/400f a good ten mins before you intend to bake it.

Cook on the middle shelf at this temperature for fifteen minutes. Check it and adjust the temperature to a little lower if it is taking on a golden-brown hue for another five minutes. You may at this stage if liked, add a little glaze of pinecone, dandelion or regular honey.

Check a knife or skewer comes out clean at its centre to ensure it is backed and remove it from the oven.

Leave it to cool in the dish and don’t be tempted to try and prise it out prematurely! Upon cooling it will loosen easily with a silicone spatula, palette or butter knife.