Thyme And Rosemary Focaccia

Finely chop or mince the rosemary and thyme. Zest the lime and divide the zest into two equal parts.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk together milk and brown sugar. Heat it in the microwave for about a minute or until a finger dipped in the milk feels hot, approximately 50 degrees. Add the yeast, stir and let it bubble and froth.

After about 5 minutes, add a tablespoon of good quality olive oil.

Add flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme and 1/2 of the lime zest into the bowl of your stand mixer or a deep mixing bowl.

Using the dough hook (or your hands), mix these ingredients. Slowly pour in the yeast and milk mixture.

The dough will be tacky to start with, but keep at it for about 5-7 minutes on medium speed and it will all come together.

Knead for about 10 minutes, until a smooth ball forms.

At this point, take some oil in your hand and grease the dough ball with it. Pour some oil in your bowl and swirl around. Now put the dough ball in the oiled mixing bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place for an hour or till doubled

Grease your baking pan with olive oil. After an hour or so, take the dough and put it in the greased baking pan, spread it around in the pan to a uniform layer.

Poke the dough with your fingers to “dimple” the dough, making sure not to poke too deep into the dough. Cover and set the dough aside for another 30 minutes or so for the second rise.

For the herbal oil, mix all the ingredients in a glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. This heating will help release all the flavors of the herbs and lime zest and infuse the oil. Let the herbal oil cool.

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Drizzle the herbal oil evenly over the dimpled dough and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for about 20 minutes or till light golden.