Loaded Sourdough Focaccia

Serves: 12 or 6 very hungry people

This started as a way to use up a focaccia and turned into one of my favourite things to serve at a table. The base is my Lazy Sourdough Focaccia, chewy, golden and full of flavour, loaded with a vibrant avo and pea dip, generous layers of ham, a drizzle of really good olive oil and enough parmesan to make you smile. It's relaxed, it's generous and it disappears fast.

The Lazy Sourdough Focaccia is the base for this one, once you have that sorted, this comes together in minutes. Fresh, vibrant and completely loaded.

Ingredients

1 x batch of my Lazy sourdough Focaccia

For the Avo & Pea Dip

3 ripe avocados
150g blanched peas
Juice of 1 lemon
Grated rind of ½ lemon
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tsp flaky sea salt
1 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped (optional)

To Load

500g good quality sliced ham
Generous drizzle of good quality olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Parmesan, freshly grated

Method

Make your Lazy Sourdough Focaccia and allow to cool completely before loading.
For the dip, add the avocados, blanched peas, lemon juice, lemon rind, olive oil and salt to a food processor and blitz until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, roughly mash everything together with a fork for a chunkier, rustier texture, both are delicious.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Fold through the fresh coriander if using.
Dollop the dip generously across the surface of the focaccia, don't spread it too neatly, big irregular dollops look and taste great.
Layer the sliced ham over the top, followed by a generous drizzle of olive oil and a good crack of black pepper.
Finish with a generous grating of fresh parmesan and serve.

Elliot's Tips

Cool the focaccia completely before loading. A warm base will make the dip slide and the ham sweat, patience here makes for a much better result.
The lemon rind is the secret weapon. The juice brightens the dip but the zest adds an aromatic lift that takes it from good to great. Don't skip it.
No food processor? No problem. A fork and a bit of elbow grease gives you a chunkier, more textured dip that works just as beautifully on the bread.
Want melted cheese? Pop the loaded focaccia under a hot grill for a few minutes until the parmesan is bubbling and golden. A completely different experience and just as incredible.
This is a great sharing centrepiece. Bring the whole loaded focaccia to the table and let people tear and pull, it's relaxed, generous and always goes down a treat.
The avo and pea dip works brilliantly on its own too. Serve it with crackers, crudités or alongside grilled chicken for a quick weeknight dinner.

Loaded Sourdough Focaccia