OLIVE OIL

Make this everyday ingredient the star of the show in these impressive recipes

Recipes NADINE BROWN 1

Peach and basil focaccia

SERVES 8-10 | PREP 15 MINS PLUS PROOFING COOK 25 MINS | EASY | V

80ml olive oil, plus 5 tbsp and extra for the bowl small handful of basil leaves, plus smaller leaves to garnish 500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting

7g fast-action dried yeast

2 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to garnish

4 peaches, pits removed and cut into 24 wedges

1½ tbsp runny honey

1 Put 80ml of olive oil and the basil in a mini food processor. Blitz until the basil is very finely broken down.

2 Put the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, and stir to combine. Create a well in the middle and add half the basil oil. Using a dough hook on a medium speed, mix the flour for 5 mins, gradually adding 300-350ml of lukewarm water until combined and you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough – you might not need all the water so keep an eye on it. Lightly oil a large bowl with a little olive oil and add the dough. Cover and leave in a warm, draft-free area for 1 hr until doubled in size.

3 Add 3 tbsp of olive oil to a 23cm x 33cm roasting tray. Add the dough and, using your fingers, spread it into an even layer, stretching into the corners. Loosely cover, then transfer to a warm, draft-free area and leave to rise again for 30 mins.

4 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Press your fingers into the dough to create dimples. Arrange the peach wedges on the dough, pressing them in gently. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and bake for 25 mins until golden on top and the edges of the peaches start to caramelise. Combine the honey with the reserved basil oil and brush over the top of the bread while still hot. Sprinkle over a generous pinch of sea salt flakes and extra basil leaves to garnish. Slice and serve.

PER SERVING (10) 327 kcals | fat 14.1G saturates 2.1G | carbs 42G | sugars 4.4G fibre 2.2G | protein 6.8G | salt 1G