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FOCACCIA ALL'AGLIO SELVATICO
WILD GARLIC FOCACCIA BREAD

Focaccia, a relation of the pizza, has taken the British by storm, and is now popular not only in Italian restaurants and delicatessens, but even in supermarkets. For me, the best focaccia is always the simplest one, topped with coarse sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. However, this variation made with wild garlic is a delicious meal in itself. Don't be tempted to add too many herbs to it, as simplicity always pays off.

For the focaccia itself, dissolve the yeast in a little of the lukewarm water -about 50ml
(2 fi oz) -then mix with the olive oil and fine salt. Mix this into the flours to make a dough.
Set aside In a warm place and cover with a clean cloth. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping by coarsely liquidising the garlic leaves (reserving the
flowers if you like), together with the olive oil. Add the almonds, salt and pepper to taste,
and mix together.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7.
Take the dough and knead to remove any air bubbles. Spread the dough out on a baking tray of 60 x 40cm (24 x 16 in) greased with olive oil. It should cover the whole tray and not be higher than 2cm (3/4 in). With the tips of your fingers make dimples in the surface of the dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
When brown and crisp, remove from the oven. Spread the wild garlic mixture, the flowers if you like, and the coarse salt on the top. Return to the oven for 2 more minutes. Serve warm or cold -either is delicious.