Focaccia
Focaccia is an Italian flatbread known for its airy texture, crisp crust, and savoury toppings. Versatile and delicious, it can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or even the star of the meal. Our recipe captures the essence of traditional focaccia while incorporating easy-to-follow instructions for a stress-free baking experience.
Ingredients
- 310 g (1 ¼ cup) water warm
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 390 g (3 cups) flour I used 00 flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Toppings of choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the yeast, warm water and sugar. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the flour, a little at a time while mixing with a wooden spoon. When about half the flour has been mixed in, stir in the salt. Then continue adding in the rest of the flour.
- Mix well until all the flour has been incorporated and you have a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- With wet hands, take the top of the dough. Stretch and fold it over to the middle of the dough. Repeat for the 3 other sides of the dough.
- Flip the dough upside down so all those folds are facing the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. Repeat these "folds and flip" another 3 times with the 30 minute rest in between.
- After the last folds, flip the dough upside down but this time in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator. Let rise overnight - at least 12 hours. Even longer would be better (up to 24 hours to develop the most flavor).
- Preheat the oven to 260°C (500°F).
- Line an 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper, and oil it generously - even up the sides of the pan.
- Let the dough fall on it's own from the bowl, helping it as little as possible (try to preserve the air that has developed inside as much as possible).
- Wet your hands and lightly stretch the dough to fill the entire pan. If needed let the dough sit in room temperature for a few minutes before stretching.
- Cover with a dish towel and let sit for 30 minutes. This time I place the dough on top of the preheating oven, just to give it some warmth to help with the rising.
- Now it's time to gently make the classic indentations in the dough with your fingers. Add any toppings you want! Some suggestions: halved cherry tomatoes, rosemary, oregano and flaky salt. Or make it sweet: sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar.
- Whisk the tbsp of water, olive oil and tsp of salt. Drizzle over the entire dough.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the top and bottom is golden brown.
- Let cool completely and serve.