The Story
We rarely buy bread from the store - unless you are prepared to spend a fortune from an artisan bakery every time, bread in the UK is fairly disgusting - pappy, lifeless, over-salted and full of horrible preservatives and chemicals which enhance the performance of the (also horrible) commercial yeast. I keep a sourdough starter on the go in the fridge and we use it for all of our bread. Focaccia is much quicker to make than my usual three-day sourdough loaves, and could even be made all in one day at a push. You can add any toppings you like - cherry tomatoes, spring onions, sliced red onion, mushrooms, cubes of cheese, bits of salami or prosciutto - the world really is your oyster. Though personally I think oysters would be a step too far. Don't be put off by the fact that you need to start it the day before - it takes 60 seconds to mix the levain, then about five minutes to mix the dough the following day. Then one or two minutes a few times during the day to stretch the dough. The rest of the time it does its own thing.