Ook Ook – Tomato & Herb Focaccia
You are going to love this recipe for Ook Ook, which is essentially a tomato and herb focaccia bread. We have grown up eating Ook Ook we all love it! Love, Love Love it!!! I love it even more now I am responsible for getting food on the table, this is a great one when you want something quick and easy, but filling.
The original recipe for Ook ook comes from the Italian town Molfetta, which is where my grandfather’s family was from before they immigrated to Australia in the fifties. The recipe has probably changed somewhat as it has been handed down in our family but I can tell you it still tastes amazing!!
It probably isn’t the healthiest bread recipe out there. The key thing that separates this recipe from normal focaccia is the amount of oil. To get the best taste from this recipe you need lots of olive oil. Over the years I couldn’t work out why Mum’s ook ook was so much better, then I twigged it was the amount of oil. You can make this recipe with less oil and it will still work, but to make it super morish and crispy and lush, go nuts with the oil. You can see in the above pic how much oil I go with, I’d say probably double that is how much my mum uses, I just can’t bring myself to use that much oil. Eeek.
To make the dough for this recipe you can use your favourite method, by hand, stand mixer or thermal cooking appliance. I have made it using all of these methods, but at the moment I am favouring the stand mixer as it is quick and easy to throw together and quick to clean up. So I will use this method for the dough part of the recipe, but feel free to go you own with it.
Many of my family members eat this ook ook with anchovy fillets stored in oil. If you are a fan of these stinky little fish apparently they make the ook ook even better so give them a try. I personally forgo these and just sprinkle with a little extra good quality salt. YUM.
If you love this recipe be sure to check out some of our other Wholefood recipes….
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @blooming_mandala on Instagram. Cheers beautiful people!
Ook Ook - Tomato & Herb Focaccia
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 400ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp dried yeast
- 20g olive oil
- 600g flour (I like to use organic unbleached white flour)
- 1/2 tbsp salt
TOPPING
- 5-6 Large Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 220°C
- Weigh out the dough ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer in the order listed above.
- With the dough hook attached mix and kneed the dough for 3 minutes using a stand mixer
- Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with a clean tea-towel and place in a warm spot to rise until roughly doubled in size
- Place around 1/4 cup of olive oil into the bottom of a large baking/roasting tray, tip in the dough and flatten it out
- Slice the tomatoes into rounds and place onto dough squeezing on as many as you can fit
- Drizzle with more olive oil (as much as you dare) and sprinkle over the salt and mixed herbs
- OPTIONAL _ You can cover the ook ook and leave to rise for a second time if you like, however, if you are in a hurry you can jump to the next step, it will still be great!
- Cook for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the ook ook sounds hollow when tapped in the centre
- Allow to cool in the tray for a few minutes before transfer to a chopping board
- Cut into pieces and enjoy
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Awesome! Omnomnom)
Yum,
We used to eat this all the time with the Italian community in Port Pirie. One of the older gentlemen taught me how to make his mother’s recipe. I make it for special occasions (like any day ending in a y ).
I had previously searched for a recipe on line but there was nothing. Good to see you have put one up now. Thanks
Thank you for sharing the recipe, my family still make it in Pirie but they buy the dough from woolies. I have been searched for the dough recipe for years ! I will give it a try today
How did you go Megan??
Perfect! I tasted just like home and a easy dough to make
you can make a good bread dough in a bread maker but if you are going to buy it we find its always better from a bakery and of course work it at room temperature.
tip! if you prefer the bottom slightly crunchy add salt to the oil in the tray before you place the dough in.
Never use the word focaccia in the same sentence as OOK OOK, especially if you are speaking to a Port Pirie Molfetesse
Haha yes we agree. We do it for the non-molfetesse 😉