Don’t Pour That Olive Brine Down The Drain – It’s A Flavour Bomb | Waste Not

When I taste-tested olives for nan nutrient select column a fewer months ago, it reminded maine that nan brine is an constituent successful its ain right. This intensely savoury liquid adds umami extent to immoderate it touches, and, beyond seasoning soups and stews, it tin besides beryllium utilized to make salamoia, nan aromatic brine that’s traditionally utilized to apical focaccia and create that cleanable salty crust.

Olive brine focaccia

Pouring oliva brine down nan descend is for illustration washing axenic flavour down nan drain. Instead, prevention it to supercharge your focaccia, creating a beautifully flavoured, salted crust that elevates an mean loaf into thing extraordinary. While I’m partial to rosemary and olives arsenic toppings, this focaccia delivers heaps of flavour moreover erstwhile kept wholly plain and simple.

Taking inspiration from some Giorgio Locatelli and Solmaz Saberi, who makes an unthinkable herb crockery focaccia connected Substack, I’ve travel up pinch this look pinch a simplified method and a high-hydration mixed (around 80-85%) that creates a ray and fluffy focaccia moreover pinch nan summation of a small wholemeal flour.

While I adore nan occasional dainty of fluffy achromatic bread, arsenic a wholefood look writer I’m ever exploring wherever wholemeal flour tin beryllium included to adhd nutrition and extent of flavour. A ratio of astir 15-20% wholemeal flour mixed pinch mostly achromatic flour useful beautifully here.

For nan salamoia
30ml oliva brine, astatine room somesthesia (or h2o mixed pinch a tablespoonful of oversea salt)
30ml extra-virgin oliva oil
Flaky salt, to decorativeness (optional)

For nan dough
500g flour (eg, all-purpose, beardown achromatic flour; if you like, substitute 15-20% of it pinch wholemeal flour)
5g dried yeast
1 tbsp sugar, aliases honey
5g good oversea salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin oliva oil

Optional toppings
Rosemary leaves
Pitted olives

Put nan oliva brine and extra-virgin oliva lipid successful a mini vessel and whisk until emulsified.

Mix nan flour pinch 425ml lukewarm h2o (if you person immoderate leftover brine successful request of utilizing up, usage that alternatively of immoderate of nan lukewarm water), past operation successful nan sugar, oversea brackish and extra-virgin oliva oil. Knead until evenly mixed, past screen pinch a damp cloth and time off to beryllium for 20 minutes.

Fold nan mixed into a neat information by pulling up each area and folding it complete into nan centre, truthful tensioning nan aboveground of nan dough, past extremity fold broadside down connected to a well-oiled 23cm baking tray. Rub nan aboveground pinch a small oliva oil, past property retired nan mixed pinch your fingertips, truthful it fills nan tray. Cover again pinch a damp cloth and time off for astir an hour, until doubled successful size.

Scatter nan optional rosemary leaves and pitted olives to sensation complete nan top, past usage oiled fingertips to property dimples each complete nan apical of nan dough. Evenly drizzle complete nan salamoia, time off for 20 minutes while nan oven heats up to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, past cook for 30 minutes, until aureate brown.