Foccacia

Ingrediente

A 9x13 inch tray (at least 2 inches deep)

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For the dough:

2 cups (470g) lukewarm water. That is somewhere between 80°F and 100°F (27°C to 37°C). (See also “About the amount of water you need” in the instructions)

2 tsp (11g) salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus lots more for greasing the tray and drizzling

7g dried yeast (any kind of dried yeast—active or instant— will work)

4 cups (560g) bread flour or Italian 00 flour, with 12% protein content (please see the discussion about flours above)

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Toppings:

Rosemary

Olives

2 tbsp olive oil

Flaky sea salt

Instrucțiuni

Make the dough:

In a large bowl combine the water, salt, olive oil and yeast. Give these a whisk.

Add the bread flour and mix using a large spoon or spatula until well combined and hydrated.

Scrape down the sides and cover the bowl for 30 minutes.

[Depending on how “thirsty” your flour is, you might need to add more water to get the wet dough consistency you’re looking for (see the photos below for the right consistency). So if your dough is dry, don’t be afraid to add more water. The reason for this is—different flours absorb water differently. For more information, see the sections above titled, “What kind of flour should I use for this focaccia?” and “Why does the type of flour affect how much water the dough needs?”]

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Stretching and folding the dough:

We are going to perform four rounds of "stretches and folds". Take one side of the dough, stretch and fold bringing the dough to the opposite side of the bowl. Rotate the bowl one quarter and repeat another 3 times. (See video for details of the stretch and fold technique.)

Cover the bowl and leave for 30 minutes.

Repeat the stretch and fold process another 3 times, leaving 30 minutes in between each round.

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Allow the dough to proof:

After your last series of stretch and folds, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge over night. Please note: I have given you an option to skip this step if you want your focaccia the same day—see three paragraphs down, beginning “Or, if you want a quicker result…”). I really do recommend the overnight method, though.

Allowing the dough to sit overnight will improve the gluten development in the focaccia. It needs to go in the fridge for this long period (so-called cold-fermenting), to slow down the yeast growth and stop the yeast digesting too much of the flour. The slower yeast growth also leads to better flavor development.

If you want to, you should be able to cold-ferment this dough for up to 48 hours in the fridge, for even better flavor development. If you leave it longer than that, you risk it over proofing, which means the dough won’t rise in the oven and support big bubbles as it bakes.

Or, if you want a quicker result, you can skip the cold fermentation in the fridge completely. Instead, you can simply allow the dough to sit one last time at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.

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Shaping the focaccia and final proofing:

After either the overnight cold-fermentation, or the quicker method where you skipped that, you’re ready to shape the focaccia in a baking tray.

Into a 9x13 inch tray (at least 2 inches deep) add 3 to 4 tbsp of olive oil. Be generous with the oil, focaccia craves it. Grease the tray well. (If your tray is not non stick, line the bottom with parchment paper before adding the oil.)

Carefully perform one last series of stretches and folds and then gently place the dough into your tray. Drizzle with more olive oil.

Cover well and allow to proof one last time for at least 1 hour. Please note: if you cold-fermented the dough in the fridge overnight, the dough will need to rise in the tray for around 2 hours at room temperature because it will still be cold from the fridge.

After the final proof, drizzle the dough with more olive oil (yes, really!). Then, cover your hands with oil, and gently make dimples in the dough. Jiggle the dough to spread the it out in the pan. (See the video for details).

Add the toppings of you choice, making sure the toppings are oiled to prevent burning.

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Bake the focaccia:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with the fan on (if your oven has a convection fan) and bake the focaccia for about 20 to 25 minutes (it's done when the top is golden and crispy).

Remove from the oven and wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into it. (Focaccia can be served warm or cold - it’s great when it’s still warm because the outside will still be crispy).

Note

You can easily halve this recipe. If you do, bake the focaccia in an 8 inch square pan, at least 2 inches deep.

Focaccia is great when it’s warm. If you want to make it ahead, it reheats beautifully the next day. Put it in the oven for about 10 minutes to re-crisp the outside and warm the interior.

https://www.emmafontanella.com/no-knead-focaccia