Focaccia

This recipe is from Salt Fat Acid Heat and I make it all the time. This benefits from using GOOD olive oil, but it's not necessary.

Ingredients

For dough:

• 600g/2.5 cups water
• .5 tsp yeast
• 15g/2.5 tsp honey
• 800g/5.33 cups all-purpose flour
• 18g/2 Tbsp salt, plus some for finishing
• 50g/0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus ~1/2 cup for pan and finishing

For the brine:

• 5g/1.5 tsp salt
• 80g/0.33 cup water

Cookware

• Mixing bowl or square Cambro-type container
• Cover for mixing bowl/container (plastic bag or lid to fit)
• Spatula
• Cookie sheet, rimmed
• Baking stone (opt.)
• Cooling rack, or somewhere the bread can breathe after baking

Instructions

It is recommended to start this around 6am or 6pm, as the resting period will leave you doing much of the baking 12-14 hours later.

1. Mix the water and honey until combined. Add yeast and combine.
2. Whisk/combine flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and olive oil to flour/salt and stir until just incorporated.
3. Cover and let rest 12ish hours.
4. Spread 2-3 Tbsp olive oil evenly on a cookie sheet. Fold your dough on top of itself, and then release the dough from your mixing bowl or container onto the cookie sheet.
5. Pour another ~2 Tbsp olive oil on top of the dough and spread it edge to edge (reach underneath the dough and pull outward). Let rest for ten minutes and repeat this process, and again ten minutes after that.
6. Once stretched thoroughly, dimple the dough using your fingers at an angle.
7. Mix the salt and water for the brine together and pour it over the dough to fill the dimples.
8. Let focaccia proof for 45 minutes. Preheat oven with baking stone to 450°F/235°C.
9. Sprinkle focaccia with more salt, and then bake for 25-30 minutes on top of baking stone. The bread is complete when the bottom crust is crisp and golden brown when checked with a metal spatula.
10. Remove from oven and brush with 2-3 Tbsp more olive oil. Let cool for 5 minutes and then release focaccia from the cookie sheet to place on cooling rack.

References

1. https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/fat/ligurian-focaccia

Last modified: 202409012329