Pumpkin, rosemary and pumpkin seed focaccia
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Published: 8 Oct 15
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Updated: 18 Mar 24
This iron bark pumpkin, rosemary and pumpkin seed focaccia from Sally Clarke‘s cookbook is the ultimate autumn comfort food recipe.
This recipe is from 30 Ingredients by Sally Clarke (£25; Frances Lincoln).
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Serves 6-8
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Hands-on time 30 min, oven time 35 min, plus 1-1½ hours rising
Ingredients
- 250 g iron bark or similar pumpkin or squash, washed, skin removed
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic, crushed to a cream
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary, plus a few sprigs
- 15 g fresh yeast (or 7g dry yeast or 3.5 g easy-blend)
- 280 ml warm water
- 125 ml light olive oil
- 600g strong white flour
- 25g salt
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds Salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°c. Cut the pumpkin into even-sized slices, approximately 1 cm thick. Place into a bowl with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and half the chopped rosemary and jumble together until well coated. Lay the pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown at the edg- es. Cool, then cut the pumpkin into thumbnail-size dice and retain a few good-looking pieces for the topping of the focaccia.
- To make the dough: if using fresh yeast, whisk into the water and olive oil and leave in a warm place until it starts to froth a little. If using dry yeast or easy- blend yeast, simply whisk the water and oil together.
- Mix the flour (and the dry or easy-blend yeast if using) together with the salt and remaining chopped rosemary and, either by hand or with the dough hook attachment of a machine, mix in the liquids un- til well amalgamated. Continue to knead until a smooth elastic dough is formed. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave in a warm place until the dough has almost doubled in size.
- Knead the diced pumpkin and pumpkin seeds into the dough briefly, using a dusting of flour, and then shape into a flat disc approximately 1.5 cm thick.
- Well oil a baking sheet and place the focaccia on top, drizzle with olive oil and cover with clingwrap and leave to prove again in a warm place until it has almost doubled its size (approximately 30–40 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 210°c. Remove the clingwrap, gently press the reserved pumpkin pieces and rosemary sprigs into the surface, and using your fingertips, make a few dimple marks over the surface. Sprinkle with a little salt and bake for 12–15 minutes or until risen and golden.
- Remove from the oven, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.
Recipe image credit: Tessa Traeger