Bread Machine Juniper and Thyme bread

It's really too hot and muggy to spend long in the kitchen at the moment, but thanks to the breads machine I can have lovely fresh, summery tasting bread without spending hours mixing and kneading.  You could bake this in the bread machine instead of just mixing it in it, but I like the flatter, almost focaccia-like shape that finishing it in the oven produces - and I like the opportunity to top it with olive oil and salt.

You will need:

275 ml water
500g strong plain flour
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 sachet (about 1½ tsp) easy blend yeast
a large handful of fresh thyme, woody stalks removed and coarsely chopped
2 tbs juniper berries, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle

plus olive oil and salt flakes to finish.

Place your ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended for your machine - mine starts with the liquid and ends with the yeast, but they vary. Set it to the dough setting and start the machine, checking after 10 minutes or so to make sure the dough looks to be a good texture, and adding water or flour if needed.

Prepare a baking tin by lightly greasing it. The tin I used is approx. 25cm x 20cm and 5cm deep.

When the dough is ready, tip it into the prepared tin and punch it down with your knuckles, spreading it over the tin at the same time until it fills the tin roughly evenly, with lots of knuckle indentations on the top. Drizzle olive oil over the top, allowing a little to pool in the indentations, then sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Cover with oiled cling film and leave for about 45 minutes until risen and puffy.

Preheat the oven to 230C (fan 210C), 450F, gas mark 8. When the dough is ready and the oven hot, bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the tin and check for doneness - you should hear a hollow sound when you tap the bottom. If not done, place back in the oven without the tin for another 5 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, brushing with a little more olive oil while still hot.

I'm joining in with Cooking With Herbs at Lavender and Lovage

 

And #CookBlogShare at Supergoldenbakes