Bread
It’s a love hate relationship really!!! Who can relate? Today it's all about my favourite Irish product - black pudding! Combining it with my wifes love affair of meats, cheese and warm bread to dip in oil we have some Clonakilty black pudding focaccia coming your way! Truthfully, we don’t tend to have a ton of bread in the house - I'd be shot if we did! But when we do it doesn’t last too long. Focaccia bread is one that lasts a split second and this Clonakilty black pudding focaccia lasts even less than that 😉
cooked and cut up black pudding focaccia
Focaccia is prob one of the easiest breads to make (says the man writing the recipe!). The beauty of it is that you can add pretty much any toppings to it and it’s a real winner. Being Irish there is no better items to put in than some good ol’ cheddar cheese and some clonakilty black pudding!!
OIL
When making focaccia aside from using 00 bread flour and yeast it’s all about the oil. Using good quality oil is a MUST. I’m a big fan of squeaky gate olive oil - try to keep it close to home by using Aussie oil. Before baking it you need to hit the bread with a good layer of oil and when it’s finished drizzle that sucker up with LOADS more oil.
A FEW TIPS WHEN MAKING FOCACCIA
uncooked black pudding focaccia on wooden table
The full recipe is below so I won’t bore you with all the deets but there are a few things you need to know and a few things that I think will help 😉
1. Using a stand mixer is WAY easier.
2. Make sure the water used in the yeast isn’t too hot or cold. Around 43 c is what you are looking for. Too hot and you will kill the yeast. Too cold and it won’t grow.
3. Don’t be shy with the flour when kneading - obviously you don’t want a big flour party but last thing you want/need is your dough sticking to the surface. Trust me I’ve been “cheap” on the flour initially and then it’s a NIGHTMARE with sticky doughy hands to get more
4. Oil - like I mentioned before use plenty of it. Line the bowl you originally mixed the dough in with oil and leave that puppy to rest after the initial knead. Plus using the same bowl means less washing up!!
5. Resting - this is typically done at room temp but I have seen a few other ways to do it but I’m yet to give it a go. Some people pop it in the oven (set at its lowest temp) for 30 mins and others let it proof in the fridge overnight. They say due to the temp in the fridge it slows down fermentation and you can leave it there for up to 3 days so if you are a SERIOUS planner then this recipe is for you 😉
TOPPINGS
As I said before you can add most things to focaccia. Mostly you find the items sprinkled on top of bread. This is due to water content in the veggies and not wanting to steam the bread and leave it soggy. That’s why when I make this particular one I cook the black pudding first before adding it to the focaccia bread. I’m a fan of things like jalapeños, onions, herbs, TONS of salt on my bread (not all at the same time)! But here are some other recipes I can 100% recommend by some fellow foodie bloggers!
Low Carb Focaccia Bread by Megan Ellam of 'Mad Creations Hub'
I find focaccia is best eaten on the day of but if you ain’t as much of a tubber as I am then wrap it in cling film once it’s cooled and then drizzle in oil, grill it up nice and warm. This Clonakilty black pudding focaccia is great with salads, simply dipped in oil and demolished OR for the ultimate brekkie put your poached eggs and hollandaise on top - you can thank me later!
I hope this inspires you to give it a whirl and if so I’d LOVE to see your creations. Tag me @another_food_blogger
Happy Cooking and Happy Eating Friends!!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 443kcal
Ingredients
Toppings
- 50 g clonakilty black pudding chopped & fried
- 50 g cheddar cheese grated
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- maldon salt
Focaccia Bread
- 150 g clonakilty black pudding chopped & fried
- 100 g cheddar cheese grated
- 10 g dry yeast
- 420 g 00 flour & more fore dusting
- 300 ml warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 80 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Add the yeast and warm water to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and leave for 1-2 minutes until frothy
- Add the olive oil and sieve the flour and salt in
- With the mixer on low knead for 2 mins and then add black pudding & cheddar cheese and continue kneading for approx 3 - 5 mins until it all comes together
- Turn out to a well floured surface and knead for a further minute until smooth
- Drizzle the mixing bowl with oil and place the dough back in. Wrap in cling film or damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour to rise
- Knock the dough back (give it a good punch - it's the best bit!) and roll out into a rectangle. Place in oiled baking sheet approx 20 cm x 30 cm, cover with cloth and leave for another hour
- Make indentations in top of bread with your fingers and sprinkle black pudding, cheese, thyme, maldon salt and plenty olive oil on top
- Bake @ 200c for 26-26 mins. Finish with another drizzle of oil because why not!
Notes
Essential Tools
- stand mixer w/ hook attachment
- rolling pin
- chopping board
- chef knives
- cheese grater
- 20 x 30 baking sheet
- frying pan
- measuring jug
- weighing scales
Tips/Tricks
- cooking the black pudding first releases some of the moisture helping to keep the bread from steaming
- aim for 43 c with the warm water to get the best from your yeast
- when adding salt to the top of your bread you want to use a finishing salt like maldon for maximum effect
- experiment - the basic focaccia recipe doesn't include cheese, thyme or black pudding so omit these ingredients from above and have some fun with your toppings
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 559mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @another_food_blogger
I will try this black pudding focaccia at my sister's graduation party I know it would be just as scrumptious as it looks, thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Thanks Veronica - I hope you enjoy it!! Send me a few pics 😉
I love black pudding and I love focaccia but would never have imagine the two as bed fellows. Would love to try this with a nice bowl of soup:-) Thank you for including my focaccia recipe:-)
Thanks Camilla - it’s the Irish in me trying to add black pudding to everything 😉