A soft, golden focaccia infused with wild garlic butter and topped with aromatic mugwort and nutrient-rich nettle seeds.

This beautifully soft Mugwort & Wild Garlic Focaccia is one of Cheryl’s recipes for weaving wild plants into everyday baking.

Wild garlic butter is worked into the dough for a rich, savoury flavour, before more melted wild garlic butter is poured over the top with mugwort and nettle seeds.

The slow resting and folding creates a wonderfully light, bubbly focaccia with a crisp golden top – perfect for tearing, sharing and serving alongside soups, dips and wild food feasts.

Photography by Bailey & Mitchell

mUGWORT FOCACCIA

Ingredients

• 650g strong bread flour
• 7g instant yeast
• 580ml lukewarm water
• 60ml melted wild garlic butter
• 15g salt
• Mugwort, to taste
• Nettle seeds, to taste

For the topping:

• 60ml melted wild garlic butter
• Mugwort
• Nettle seeds

Method

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour and instant yeast.

Add the lukewarm water, followed by 60ml wild garlic butter and the salt. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until you have a wet, sticky dough.

Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Wet your hands and perform a stretch and fold. Reach underneath the dough, lift it upwards and fold it back over itself. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat 4–5 times.

Cover and rest for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the stretch and fold process once more, keeping your hands wet to prevent sticking. Gently pinch the dough in the centre with two fingers, lift slightly and fold it inwards.

Cover and leave to rest for 45 minutes.

Line a baking dish approximately 37 x 26cm (14.5 x 10 inches) with baking parchment and lightly grease.

Transfer the dough to the dish. Fold each end inwards like a napkin, turn the dough 90 degrees and flip it over. Gently stretch it from underneath to fit the dish.

Cover and leave to rest for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210°C.

Melt the remaining 60ml wild garlic butter and mix with the mugwort and nettle seeds.

Pour over the dough. Press your fingers deeply into the dough to create the characteristic focaccia dimples and bubbles.

Bake on a middle-low shelf for approximately 30 minutes, or until beautifully golden.

Foraging Safety

Only use wild plants that you can confidently identify as edible. Wild garlic has potentially dangerous lookalikes, so identification should always be confirmed before harvesting.

Note on mugwort: Mugwort is generally avoided during pregnancy, so this recipe would not be suitable for someone who is pregnant.