My feed has been filling up with people making Focaccia during lockdown, it almost feels like another Banana Bread craze. All the carbs floating about on my screen made me get in the kitchen to make my own. If you have ever tried my Zanzibar Sesame & Coconut Flatbread then you’ll know I always describe it as if a Focaccia and Naan had a baby! It’s literally the perfect middle of them both. While that bread is very easy to make the whole element of frying and then grilling can get messy and takes slightly longer.

I remember first trying to bake the Zanzibari bread in Oman - I had been with a friend and we made wayyy too much dough and I just got tired of frying so grabbed the whole thing, threw in a baking dish and hoped for the best. Little did I know with some extra olive oil and a little more rising time we would have had Focaccia but with a coconut milk base!

So here we have it Za’atar Focaccia(ish)!

Cooking/Baking Notes:

• I use both my Za’atar Blend & Za’atar Leaves. The blend is perfect the extra kick that comes from the sumac and then the leaves literally add extra depth of Za’atar. You could either or and not both if you feel like it.

• I use a salt brine method that I learnt from both my legendary mother & the legendary Samin Nosrat who both say that the salt brine when poured over the bread before baking distributes an even amount of salt throughout the whole bread and not just the top like the sprinkling of salt would do. Highly recommend this, do not be put off by all the water. I boil water at the beginning so the salt has more time to sit and dissolve.

• This dough rises twice but if you have learnt another focaccia method to get those huge air pockets in which you do it over a 2-3 day process then by all means do that.

• Don’t panic if you don’t have coconut milk! You can use water but coconut milk makes your bread so much softer and makes it last longer - so basically get coconut milk!

• I use a 8inch by 13inch baking dish. However, I advice a slightly bigger one! Mine needed more space for sure.

• Use the BEST quality Olive Oil - PLEASE. We need a lot of it and you’re going to taste it so let it be great. I use an Omani Olive Oil. But if you’re in the UK Belazu & Odysea have amazing ones.

Ingredients:

• 650g Plain Flour

• 7g Instant Yeast

• 600ml Warm Coconut Milk (Full Fat)

• 3 TSP Sea Salt

• 1 Heaped TBSP Za’atar Blend

• 1 Heaped TBSP Za’atar Leaves

• 1 Bulb of Garlic (Peeled)

• 100ml Boiling Water

• 1 Egg (Optional, if you want it more spongey)

• 75ml Olive Oil + Extra 3 TBSP

• 1 TSP Brown Sugar

Method:

1. Begin by making your Salt Brine by combining the boiling water with 2 TSP of Sea Salt. Give it a mix and leave the salt to dissolve & brine.

2. Add your yeast to 400ml of warm coconut milk and leave to sit for 5 minutes to bloom.

3. In a very large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rest of the salt & sugar and mix to incorporate with your hands.

4. Add the 400ml of coconut milk yeast mixture (and egg if using) to the flour and using your hand start to incorporate till all the milk is soaked up. At this point your mixture will look like a typical thick bread dough.

5. Now you want to add in the rest of the coconut milk and with your hand or in a mixer knead to incorporate. I use my hand to do it as it’s pretty loose and easy to work with but do whatever you are comfortable with.

6. Once your coconut milk is fully incorporated the dough will look very loose but thick. You’ll be able to pick it up and will gradually drop out of your hands if that makes sense! Make sure there are no lumps.

7. Add in the 75ml of Olive Oil and give it a mix in - I know the batter is starting to look even more wet! Don’t panic!

8. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for 1.5hours.

9. Once your dough has risen, take your baking dish and give it a wipe with some olive oil then take your dough and try to touch it as little possible pour it into the baking dish. If your dish is smaller than mine I would divide between two dishes.

10. Make sure the dough is evenly distributed, then take your water brine and pour evenly over the dough.

11. Sprinkle on both Za’atars and then dribble over the remaining TBSPs of Olive oil.

12. Plop (such a strange word) your garlic cloves all around the dough.

13. Then finally comes the exciting part of using both your hands to stick your fingers in the dough at an angle and gently push through the dough to create air bubbles. Do this all the way down the dough and back up again. Do not be tempted to pop the bubbles, we need those!

14. Leave the dough to rise again for 30-45 minutes.

15. In the last 15 minutes heat your oven to 200°c (fan).

16. Bake your Focaccia for 25 minutes till it’s hard on the top, golden and cooked all the way through! I would check after 20 minutes incase you have a hot oven.

17. Leave it to cool and then enjoy!