Focaccia is like an excuse to eat pizza with extra bread and a dipping bowl of balsamic-puddled olive oil while calling it a ‘side’. Normally you’ll find it sprinkled with rosemary and coarse sea salt.
Occasionally, some sun-dried tomatoes or olives may make an appearance. That is what I call a luxury focaccia, like the ones I’ve bought from artisanal bakeries after a day of shopping. I share it with my friends, ripping hunks of bread warm from the bag while sitting on the bus home. Yeah, we’re probably being judged/secret-envy-eyed by everyone else but do you know how hard it is to hold a loaf of warm bread and not tear into it? Extremely. So I think the bus people understand. Here, the chewy loaf is topped with cheese, squash and sage for a comforting, autumnal flavour. It’s great eaten alongside soup or a light stew.