Focaccia Bread
If you’re interested in bread making, focaccia is a great place to start. Similar to pizza crust, focaccia is typically characterized by its chewy, bubbly interior with a crispy exterior. Like most other bread recipes, the process will take some time, but it won’t require any kneading. Instead the gluten will develop from a few folds and the time spent resting.
Focaccia works great as a sandwich bread or as a side for dipping. For this recipe I’ll be using roasted garlic and rosemary as the topping, but you can choose whatever toppings you’d like.
Focaccia:
active dry yeast, 1 Tbsp
sugar, 1 Tbsp
warm water, 1 cup
bread flour, 2 3/4 cups (330g)
salt, 1 tsp
onion powder (OP), 1/2 tsp
garlic powder (GP), 1/2 tsp
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1/2 cup
Topping:
fresh garlic
rosemary
flaky salt
EVOO
Method:
Begin with the yeast, sugar, and water in a cup or bowl. Stir until dissolved and set aside for 10 minutes. Make sure the water you use isn’t too hot for the yeast, just slightly warm to the touch. After 10 minutes there should be a foam on top, if there isn’t then your yeast is NOT activated and you’ll have to start again (make sure your yeast isn’t expired).
Combine the bread flour, salt, OP and GP in a bowl and stir. Slowly add your yeast mixture and the EVOO. Using your hands or spoon, mix well until all the flour is incorporated. You don’t have to worry about kneading the dough either. Once it’s all mixed well, cover with plastic wrap and towel then set aside to rise. You can drizzle a little EVOO on top of the dough and brush with your fingers to keep it from sticking to the plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise for about 30-45 minutes, preferably in a warm environment. Once almost doubled in size, create 4 stretches and folds. Coat your hands in some EVOO or water to prevent sticking, then gently place your hand under the dough, grab a side, and carefully stretch upwards before folding over to the other side. Repeat this technique 3 more times. The stretch and fold process helps gluten formation and also incorporates air into the dough (helps make the dough fluffier instead of dense). Once the 4 folds are completed, set aside and let rise again. Repeat this process at least 2 more times.
Prepare your vessel for baking, I like to use either a sheet pan or a casserole dish. Drizzle with a generous bit of EVOO and spread around the dish.
After the last stretch and fold you should notice the dough becoming a bit more elastic. Once done folding, slip your dough into the greased dish and gently spread with your fingers. Let the dough rise one final time, about another 30-45 min. Preheat your oven to 400° while waiting for the last rise. Once doubled in size, the dough should be soft and jiggly. Drizzle the top generously with EVOO and whatever toppings you chose, or keep it plain and top with course salt. Then using your fingers, coat in oil or water, and press gently into the dough creating small holes. The oil and toppings will get pushed into the middle of the dough and create crispy flavor pockets.
Place into oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Might take less or more time depending on your oven, but the top should be browned and crispy. I would suggest to remove from the pan and place on cooling rack to prevent the bottom from getting too soggy. In case it does, you can always stick it back in the oven for 10 minutes right on the rack to bring it back to life. Especially if you decide to freeze some, it'll reheat great after defrosting.
Roasted Garlic topping:
Preheat oven to 375°. In an oven safe dish or aluminum foil, add about half a head of garlic with the skin on, a few sprigs of rosemary, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO. Cover and let roast in the oven for about an hour. Once done, the garlic should be soft enough to squeeze out of the skin, and the oil aromatic from the fresh rosemary. Mix up in a bowl and add some more fresh rosemary and EVOO, set aside to cool.
