Focaccia
I don’t F with sourdough.
Of course I have considered it. Lusted over beautiful bubbles and incredible crumb shots that I keep seeing on IG. Dreamt of sourdough bread perfection, of having a go at making a starter and keeping it fed and alive (this part alone freaks me out). But in reality, I am not a baker - nowhere near one - and as much as I love creating by hand and from scratch, the maintenance, variability and precision of bread baking is just not for me.
However that doesn’t mean that I’m not interested in being able to make bread. I just want it to be easy. And I also really want a good focaccia recipe that doesn’t immediately put me off because it says “sourdough starter” in the ingredients list. Is that too much to ask?
I don’t think so. Which is why over the past several months I have been on a quest to develop a consistent and straight forward focaccia recipe that yields beautiful air bubbles, a fine crunch, and of course one that doesn’t require a starter. And… I finally feel like I’ve succeeded.
This focaccia is light, spongey and fluffy on the inside with a thin and crispy exterior. Bubbled throughout, but not overly so. Perfect for eating as is, or slicing in half for fancy sandwiches. Wonderful simply sprinkled with salt, or topped with whatever you like. Easy to inhale and as such: here for a good time, not a long time.
Flour
I have found really wonderful consistency by using Mulino Caputo’s Manitoba Oro flour - it’s a strong bread flour with a high protein content (14%). I have found this at local independent grocers, as well as some larger supermarkets. If you can find this flour, I highly recommend!
I’ve also had great success with Molino Pasini’s pizza flour (>12% protein), however I find this more difficult to source in QLD hence why I opt for Manitoba Oro.
Either way - it is important to use a strong bread flour for best results - and it’s fun to experiment with brands that you have available to you, as long as the flour you choose has a protein content between 12-14% you should be sweet.
Oven temps
I tried a range of temps, from 210-250c and found a sweet spot bang in the middle at 230c. The balance is trying to get a crisp and golden top and bottom.
More is more
Olive oil. Just go for it. I mean, really go for it.
Folding techniques
As I said, I’m no baker. And after trying a few different types of folds and having no idea what I was doing, I decided a simple stretch and fold was perfect. It’s easy, it requires no thought, great results, done. Wet your hands with water to help get under the dough to do this.
Focaccia
Makes 1 loaf
Prep time 4h10m | Bake time 30m
Ingredients
500g strong bread flour (I use Mulino Caputo Manitoba Oro)
350ml water
5g instant dry yeast
10g honey
50ml lukewarm water (115F / 46c)
10g non-iodised sea salt - I like to grind sea salt flakes down to a finer consistency
50ml extra virgin olive oil
To finish
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes
Method
Autolyse (60 minutes)
Gently mix 500g flour and 350ml water until just combined.
Cover and leave to rest for one hour.
Yeast mixture (15 minutes)
15 minutes before the dough has finished resting, add the yeast, honey, and lukewarm water to a bowl.
Whisk to combine and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
This mix should get foamy/bubbly on top - if it doesn’t, your yeast is probably dead/expired.
The next steps can either be done in a stand mixer, or by hand. Both methods are below:
Mixing and kneading the dough (10-15 minutes)
Option 1: With a stand mixer
Combine the rested dough and yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer, and with a dough hook attachment mix until just combined - around 1-2 minutes on a low speed.
Add the salt and turn the mixer back on low, kneading for 5 minutes.
Next, add the olive oil and again, knead on a low speed until combined and very smooth and the oil has incorporated - around 2-3 minutes.
Option 2: By hand
Add the yeast mixture to the rested dough and use your hands to cut the mixture in until just combined. Imagine squeezing a big squishy stress ball, clenching your fist as you do - that’s the motion I use.
Add the salt and again, use your hands to cut this into the dough for a solid 10 minutes.
Add the olive oil and repeat the cutting motion, mixing with your hands until the dough is smooth and the oil has incorporated.
Stretch and folds (90 minutes)
NB: The is a high hydration dough at 90%, so it is wet, sticky and might feel a little out of control. That’s OK!
Transfer the dough to an oiled container or bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, shower cap or clingfilm and rest for 45 minutes before performing your first stretch and fold:
Wet your hands with water and scoop underneath one side of the dough
Stretch that portion of the dough upwards, then fold it over towards the centre of the bowl
Rotate the bowl 45 degrees and repeat until you’ve gone around all sides of the dough
Cover the dough again, and let it rest for another 45 minutes.
Repeat another set of stretch and folds.
Bulk ferment (60 minutes)
Cover the dough again and rest for 1 hour in a warm spot.
Final proof (30-60 minutes)
Note: my preference with focaccia is using a shallow baking tray - I personally like the depth of the focaccia not to be OTT. This recipe is perfect for a tray that measures 24x38cm. You can absolutely use a smaller, deeper pan if you prefer.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to the base of your baking tray and rub evenly all over.
Use baking paper to line the base of the tray, then add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on top of that - spread over evenly - this is to stop your focaccia from sticking to the tray.
Carefully release the dough onto the tray, using wet hands fold the top edge and bottom edge to meet in the middle, rotate the dough 45 degrees so the long edges align with the long sides of the pan, and flip so the seam is now on the base of the pan.
You can use wet hands to gently pull the corners from underneath to help coax it out to the shape of the pan, gently jiggle it and carefully encourage it into a uniform shape. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.
Next, allow the dough to have a final proof in the tray - anywhere between 30-60 minutes depending on the temperature - until the dough has plumped up and spread out more evenly across the tray. It should be looking bubbly and jiggly at this point.
While the dough is having its final proof, preheat the oven to 230c (210c fan forced).
Docking (5 minutes)
Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil all over the focaccia - a good 3-4 tbsp.
Dab a little bit of the oil on your fingers and rub all over your hands before pressing your fingers deep into the dough - continue doing this all over.
Air bubbles will form in places - try not to pop them!
Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Baking (30 minutes)
Place on the lower shelf of your oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is deep golden in colour. You can place the tray on the top shelf for the final few minutes to help the top colour nicely if needs be.
Remove from the oven and let sit in the baking tray for a few minutes, before transferring the focaccia out of the tray and onto a wire rack to cool.
Try and let the focaccia cool for about 20 minutes before enjoying :)
