Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia (Focaccia al Rosmarino)

August 25, 2015April 24, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next87 Comments

Traditional Italian focaccia. Fluffy olive oil bread topped with fragrant rosemary and sea salt.

There really is nothing better than homemade bread. Freshly baked, it always tastes amazing. Focaccia is one of the bread recipes I make most often – baking it every week, usually at the weekends when I have more time. Sliced up it makes a brilliant light lunch or appetiser served as part of an antipasto. I’ve already shared a few focaccia recipes on the blog, but this time I wanted to share a basic rosemary focaccia. I love the simplicity of this bread, and of course the beautiful aromatic flavour.

I made this focaccia for a recipe test run a few weekends back. To say the least, it went down a treat and got devoured as quick as anything. With just four people in our household, it vanished pretty quickly soon after baking – which is definitely a great sign! Hands down this is my favourite focaccia recipe!

I kept the flavours very simple. Rosemary and sea salt is a classic focaccia topping and one of our favourites. We use homegrown rosemary, we took a cutting from the villa we stayed at a few years ago in Tuscany, we planted when we got home and ever since it has flourished, and produces enough rosemary for our culinary needs each year!

This focaccia starts with an olive oil bread dough. I use extra virgin olive oil which adds real depth of flavour, gives the bread that authentic taste and keeps it soft and fluffy. You can prepare the dough by hand (the traditional way) or use an electric mixer like I do. Both ways will work just as well, producing a fluffy and crisp focaccia.

You can top the focaccia with anything you like. Bake it until golden and then tear and dip into some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:

500g strong white bread flour

7g (1 packet) fast action dried yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

50ml (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

300ml (1/2 pint) warm water – make sure it isn’t boiling

Toppings:

1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

A few sprigs fresh rosemary

Course sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:

In a large mixing bowl add the flour. Add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other. Add the sugar and then mix to combine.
Mix together the water and oil and then add the flour. Using a wooden spoon mix together until a soft and sticky dough comes together. Then lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough by hand until smooth and elastic for 10 minutes. You can also knead the dough in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.
Once kneaded, lightly oil a bowl and add the dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size – this will take around an hour.
When doubled in size lightly grease a baking tin (approx. 22cm x 32cm) with olive oil (1-2 tbsp). Add the dough and press out into the tin until even – it doesn’t need to look perfect! Cover the tray and again leave in a warm place until doubled in size. (45-60 minutes approx.)
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Press small holes into the dough with your fingertips. Poke the rosemary in the holes and scatter over the oregano and sea salt. Drizzle the focaccia with a little extra oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and lightly coloured. Once the bread sounds hollow, remove from tin and cool on a wire rack. Slice up and enjoy anyway you like Serve the focaccia dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It can be served both at room temperature and gently warmed in the oven. Both ways are delicious!

Note: The focaccia is best eaten on the day of making, but it will keep in a bread bag or airtight container for an extra day.

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Gluten-Free · Light Lunches · Main Meals · Rice Dishes · Vegetarian Recipes

Saffron Rice

May 11, 2015August 11, 2021 What Jessica Baked Next25 Comments

Fluffy aromatic buttered saffron rice. A classic and delicious side dish.

I absolutely adore simple and easy dishes. They’re especially convenient for busy working families with hardly any time to make a delicious and tasty dinner. Rice dishes in particular are a great standby for hectic weeknight dinners. Rice is a basic store cupboard ingredient and my recipe proves it can be transformed into something special with just a handful of extra ingredients!

This rice is amazing and it’s always a big hit with my family. It’s quick to make and with a buttery and fragrant flavour it makes a tasty side dish that is luxurious and will impress any dinner guest who tastes it. I decided to combine one of my favourite ingredients in my herb and spice cupboard, saffron. I often use saffron in my Spanish recipes like paella (recipe for that will be coming soon!) and homemade sauces. This rice recipe is very adaptable as you can add a small handful of cardamom pods, cloves, a little pinch of turmeric and a cinnamon stick and easily turn the recipe into pilau rice ready to serve with your favourite curry.

I’ve been making and creating my own rice recipes for a little while now. I shared this amazingly good Mexican Red Rice (Arroz Rojo) recipe a while back when I’d just started blogging and it still remains one of my favourite dishes.

The rice is speckled with beautiful saffron threads. I love the rich flavour the saffron adds. To prepare the rice it’s very important to have your mis en place prepared beforehand. I take two smallish pinches of saffron threads and I soak the saffron in boiling water for 10 minutes. The soaking allows the oils to be released and the flavour will become stronger. Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice but it can be found at an affordable price if you look around at your local supermarket.

Whilst the saffron is soaking you have the opportunity to prepare your other ingredients. I finely diced a small white onion and chopped up a couple cloves of garlic. To cook the rice, melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Caramelise the onion and then add the garlic and a bay leaf – caramelising the onion again will add more depth of flavour and a little sweetness. Tip the rice into the pan and toast slightly so it can be coated fully in the butter mixture. Then all that’s left to do is to pour in the stock and leave the rice to simmer away until cooked.

Once cooked I always take rice off the heat and leave it to rest for another 5-10 minutes. This allows the rice to steam a little longer and makes it fluffier – it’s one of the most vital steps in making perfect homemade rice! Fluff with a fork and then serve up.

This rice can also be served alongside many dishes – I love to serve it with curry or my mum’s Spanish roast chicken. But the rice is great enjoyed on it’s own too.

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

2 pinches saffron threads

2 tablespoons boiling water

30g / 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bay leaf, torn

450g (2 cups) rice (you can use basmati or long grain rice)

900ml (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, to serve

Method:

1. Add the saffron threads to a small bowl. Pour over the 2 tablespoons boiling water, mix and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan gently melt the butter and oil. Add the chopped onion, season well with salt and pepper and sauté on a medium heat for 3 minutes. Now add the minced garlic and bay leaf and continue cooking for a further minute until fragrant.

3. Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes. Now add the stock and the saffron infusion you pre-made earlier and stir to combine. Bring up to the boil and then once boiling turn down the heat to low and allow the rice to simmer covered for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked fully.

4. Once the rice is cooked, take off the heat and leave on the side for 5-10 minutes. Fluff the rice up and adjust seasoning, if needed.

5. Serve warm with a sprinkling of parsley.

Note: To make this dish vegan, omit the butter and add an extra tablespoon of oil or 30g of your preferred butter substitute.

Enjoy!

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Greek Cuisine · Light Lunches · Pasta Recipes · Vegetarian Recipes

Greek Pasta Salad

July 8, 2014May 29, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next33 Comments

Greek pasta salad that’s perfect for summer BBQs, picnics and a lunch to take along with you to work! Choose your favourite pasta, add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives and crumbled feta cheese. Stir together with a simple dressing made from minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and seasoning.

This pasta salad combines all my favourite Greek flavours into a tasty pasta salad perfect for summer. I love making this pasta recipe ready to take out for picnics or to serve as a side dish at a BBQ.

The best thing about this recipe is you can make it the night before and leave it in the fridge ready for the next day’s lunch or dinner. Each bowlful of this divine pasta salad is packed full of fresh sweet cherry tomatoes, tangy red onion, refreshing cucumber and salty crumbled feta. Serve alongside lemon chicken, souvlaki or some fried halloumi cheese for an amazing Greek feast!

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek pasta salad that's perfect for summer BBQs, picnics and a lunch to take along with you to work! Choose your favourite pasta, add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives and crumbled feta cheese. Stir together with a simple dressing made from minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and seasoning.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

500 g tortelloni pasta or any pasta shape of your choice I use spinach and ricotta
1/2 large cucumber chopped into small pieces
225 g tomatoes chopped into small chunks - if using cherry tomatoes, just half
1 small red onion finely diced
70 g kalamata or black olives halved
150 g feta cheese crumbled

Pasta Dressing:

80 ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large lemon juice only
1 clove of garlic finely minced (optional)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook your chosen pasta shape according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and cool with cold running water. Drain again before setting aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Add the chopped cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives and the cooked pasta. Crumble in the feta and stir through to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
This pasta is best served chilled, the longer time it can sit the better the flavour. The pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More savoury Greek recipes to try next!

Mum’s famous Greek Stifado

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Greek Pita Bread

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Main Meals · Vegetarian Recipes

Halloumi and Vegetable Couscous with Tzatziki

June 25, 2014August 1, 2019 What Jessica Baked Next62 Comments

Halloumi and vegetable couscous with tzatziki is a summery dinner all your friends and family will love. It’s super tasty and easy to make!

Originally posted in June 2014, recipe, writing and photographs updated August 2019.

Lately I’ve been baking so many sweet treats that I felt like posting something different and sharing a savoury creation of mine.

I’m constantly dreaming of all the recipes I can bake and create! Any spare moment I have I’m constantly scribbling down any recipe idea that pops into my head. I remembered a dish I used to make for dinner frequently that’s inspired by my travels and love of Cypriot and Greek cuisine.

I’ve been making this dish for a long time now and having first posted the recipe all the way back in 2014, I’ve meant to update the recipe and photographs for a while as I’d adapted it since then and the photographs didn’t do this recipe justice.

Eating a plate of this takes me back to sunny and warm evenings on holiday, one taste and I could be back in Cyprus or on a beautiful Greek island and that’s exactly how I want you to feel when you eat this beautiful dish.

This recipe combines two recipes I’ve previously shared: my Roasted Vegetable Couscous and traditional Greek-style Tzatziki. I’ve added some fried halloumi cheese to make this into a summer dinner all your family and friends will love. I’m yet to meet someone who dislikes halloumi, it’s quite possibly my favourite cheese simply served with a sprinkling of dried oregano and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon!

The dish is served with tzatziki, I find halving my recipe makes just enough to serve four people with maybe a little leftover. Sometimes we serve this dish part of a mezze and serve it with falafel, hummus, olives and homemade pitta bread.

Another recipe update completed. I hope for everyone who missed this the first time round will enjoy making and eating it!

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Roasted Vegetable Couscous:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 mixed colour bell peppers, deseeded and cut into medium chunks

8-10 small mushrooms (such as button or chestnut), cleaned and quartered

1 red onion, chopped into small chunks

1 courgette, halved lengthways and sliced into 1/2 inch quarters

Salt and black pepper, to taste

200g dried couscous

1 vegetable stock cube (optional)

Boiling water (see method for instructions)

Halloumi:

2 x 225g packs of halloumi cheese (see recipe method for instructions on slicing)

Olive oil, for grilling/frying

Dried or fresh herbs (I personally love seasoning mine with fresh thyme or dried oregano) – this is optional

To Serve:

1/2 x tzatziki recipe

Fresh lemon wedges

Method:

To make the couscous: Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Evenly spread the vegetables out onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables until they’re all coated well in the oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft and starting to colour slightly.
Once the vegetables are near enough cooked, start preparing the couscous. Place the couscous in a large bowl that will be big enough to mix up all the vegetables in too. Crumble the stock cube over the top of the couscous, season with salt (go easy on the salt as the stock cube is very salty) and pepper and pour over just enough boiling water to cover the top of the couscous. Cover the bowl with some clingfilm/plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes (I always leave mine for the full 10 minutes).
Now using a fork, fluff the couscous and then mix through the roasted vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature. Couscous can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To prepare the halloumi: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a griddle/frying pan. Take the halloumi and slice each block of cheese directly down the centre widthways, then slice each half into four slices (you’ll have eight slices in total – so four slices per person).
Sprinkle each side of the halloumi with herbs (if using) and then grill/fry the halloumi until it’s lightly golden and cooked to your liking – some people prefer their halloumi slightly softer, whereas others like it on the crispier side.
To serve, divide the couscous between four serving bowls or plates, along with the cooked halloumi and serve with the tzatziki and fresh lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

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Baking · Bread · Light Lunches · Vegetarian Recipes

Cheddar Chive Soda Bread

February 17, 2014June 23, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next47 Comments

Want to make homemade bread in under an hour and without any kneading/rising involved or a bread machine in sight? If so, you’re in for a treat because I’m sharing my recipe for a super easy and tasty savoury quick bread. I love making homemade bread, but it always takes so long and I tend to get quite impatient waiting for the dough to rise. This is why I thought I would share this amazing recipe I recently found which doesn’t require any kneading, rising or proving. Simply add all the ingredients into a bowl, mix, bake and then dig in whilst the bread is still gloriously warm and toasted!

Soda bread filled with creamy, mature Cheddar cheese and fragrant chives. This is one of the easiest and quickest bread recipes you’ll ever bake!

My taste testers loved the mix of flavours in this bread. This tasty bread combines oozy mature Cheddar cheese in each bite with a mellow hint of flavour from fresh chives. I can’t wait to make this bread again and I will definitely be making and packing it up for picnics in the summer but I am sure it would be fantastic toasted and served with a bowl of soup in the winter months.

Ingredients:

400g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

125g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Bunch/large handful of fresh chives, finely chopped

300ml buttermilk (instead of buttermilk you can use 200g of yoghurt mixed with 100ml of milk)

Topping:

1 tablespoon milk, for glazing

50g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Lightly dust a large baking tray with flour and set aside.

2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Now mix in the cayenne pepper, grated cheese and chopped chives. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk (or yoghurt/milk mixture) and bring the ingredients together into a clean ball – add little extra milk if needed.

3. Shape the dough into an 18cm round and put on the prepared baking tray. Mark the dough into quarters, cutting almost all the way through. Brush the top with a tablespoon of milk and sprinkle with the additional grated cheese.

4. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes until the bread is crisp and sounds hollow. Cool the bread on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

5. Bread will store at room temperature in a bread bag or airtight container for up to 3 days.