United States
Cooking time - 120 mins
Serves - 8
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 9g/0.3oz Instant Yeast
- 335g/12oz Water
- 450g/16oz Flour (Bread or All purpose)
- 9g/0.3oz Salt
- 9g/0.3oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For Baking:
- 20g/0.7oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 20g/0.7oz Water
Topping Ideas:
- Coarse Kosher Salt
- Fresh Thyme
Method
Mix the ingredients
- Add the yeast to the warm water along with a spoonful of the flour. Stir until dissolved.
- Let stand for 5-10 minutes until a light foam appears and little bubbles are visible. (Note: If there is no foam surface or little bubbles the yeast is likely dead and should be discarded for new yeast.)
- Meanwhile, add the flour, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Once the yeast is proofed, pour in the mixture and mix the dough with your hands until no dry flour remains in the bowl and a cohesive mass forms. The dough will be very sticky.
- Pour the olive oil over the dough, work together until the oil is absorbed. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Bulk Fermentation + Gluten Development
- Once rested, perform a stretch and fold by grabbing a corner of the dough in the bowl, lift straight up to stretch the dough as high as it will go without tearing and fold over to the other side.
- Rotate the bowl and perform three more reps of stretch and folds. Once folded, turn the dough over onto itself, cover and let rest for another 25-30 minutes.
- Perform 3 more sets with 25-30 minutes rest in between. For each stretch and fold set, the dough should feel more elastic.
Proofing (Second Ferment)
- Drizzle olive oil into your Whatever Pan until the bottom is covered. After the last stretch and fold, put the focaccia dough into the pan and gently work it to the edges. (Note: If the dough is springing back from the edges, cover and let rest for 15-20 minutes before gently working to the edges).
- Cover the pan and let the focaccia proof for 45-60 minutes. At the end of proofing, the dough should be well risen and puffy with gas bubbles.
- Preheat the oven to 232°C/450°F.
Dimple + Add Toppings
- Dimple the proofed dough with wet fingers by gently pushing to the bottom of the pan, but do not accidentally go through the dough.
- Whisk the olive oil and water together with a fork for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the mixture over the focaccia where it will flow into the dimples.
- Sprinkle salt and fresh thyme over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve as is or slice in half for sandwiches!
