AuthorSarah RacineCategoryBreadDifficultyIntermediateYield- 1 half sheet or 9 x 13 pan
Focaccia is all the rage right now, and for good reason. A forgiving dough that turns into a delicious and versatile flatbread makes for a great weeknight indulgence or show stopper for your dining table! All the basic bread rules apply, the caveat being copious amounts of olive oil before baking.
If you need more clarity on the process of bread making, feel free to reference my 9 Steps of Yeast Bread post for more information.
If you need more clarity on the process of bread making, feel free to reference my 9 Steps of Yeast Bread post for more information.
425F, or 400F convection, middle rack
Heavily grease one half-sheet pan or 9 x 13 pan with 1/3 cup of your favorite olive oil.
Set up a 5-6 quart bowl, optional stand mixer with dough hook attachment for mixing.
in a smaller dish-
-Yeast, warm water, sugar, and oil, stirred for 15 seconds
(Stir just to combine; you want the yeast submerged in the water but it can still be clumpy. In five minutes or so, it should look foamy and bubbly).
in the large mixing bowl-
-Combine yeast mixture with all remaining ingredients in the stand mixer with dough hook attachment on medium low speed, or into a bowl and begin kneading by hand, 5 minutes .
(If dough seems too dry, add a TBSP of water at a time until the dough comes together into one mass that is tacky, but not sticky. If dough seems too wet, add a TBSP of flour at a time until the dough comes together into one mass that is tacky, but not sticky.)
Once dough looks smooth and pliable, conduct the “gluten window test.” Grab about a tablespoon sized amount of dough out of the bowl and pinch it with at least four fingers and your thumbs. Spread the dough slowly and hold it toward the light. If your dough tears, the gluten is not fully developed; keep mixing. If you can see light through it and it’s stretchy enough, that means your gluten is fully developed and your dough is ready to rest!
Let dough proof (rest and rise) covered for at least 50 minutes . The warmer it is (up to 105 degrees), the faster it will rise. You want dough to grow at least 50% in size before dividing and shaping it.
This is called the bulk fermentation. This is the 1st proof, where the yeast is given time to break down the starch as food and emit has, resulting in air bubbles in the bread as well as flavor. This also gives time for gluten to develop and the bread’s texture to improve. Even when you are not mixing, gluten is developing. The longer dough sits, the weaker the bread structure becomes and the easier it is to develop gluten.
Punch down the dough and smoosh the whole mass into the heavily greased pan gently with your hands (you can the roll dough with rolling pin initially if that helps you) until dough is even in thickness and reaches the corners of the pan. Try to do this quickly, as the more you work the dough, the more it will spring back from the corners, signaling that you've stressed out the gluten in the dough (an affect that can be minimized by quick work).
Let the tray bench rest for at least 15 minutes but up to 40 before baking. The more the loaf bench rests, the fluffier it will be (but don’t overproof, or it will collapse).
Bench resting is the second proof. It's a shorter length of time to prevent over-proofing, always done after shaping and right before baking to improve dough shapes, let gluten recover from the work you just did, and to add air bubbles and additional volume to your product.
After the bench rest, dimple the dough with your fingers (I like to hold up three fingers and go in rows down the entire flatbread), and drizzle with your favorite olive oil to finish. Additionally, your focaccia can be topped with chopped herbs, parmesan, another grated cheese, sundried tomatoes, even mushrooms or bits of bacon!
Bake for 30 minutes total, rotating the pan after 15 minutes in the oven. Color is a good indicator that it is done baking, but I like to temp my bread with an instant read thermometer. You’re looking for at least 195 degrees F, but up to 215F is fine.
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes . If you cut the bread while it is still steaming hot, this will ruin the texture. Serve warm!
As long as the weight of the flour remains the same, you can sub in up to 25% whole wheat flour, up to 30% rye, or a combination of the two. Keep in mind you do need a majority of white flour for the yeast to eat and for gluten to develop in order to create the hallmark focaccia texture. Adding other flours will also increase your proofing times.
The best way to flavor focaccia is with bold toppings. You could try fresh or sundried tomatoes, herbs, olives, cheeses of all kinds, even just a high quality pepper or finishing salt, or all of the above! Keep in mind that heavy, overly moist toppings can affect the flatbread's texture, so use sparingly and take measures to remove excessive moisture from these additions.
Serving alongside a dipping sauce or olive oil with seasoning adds extraordinary flavor as well.
Ingredients
Directions
425F, or 400F convection, middle rack
Heavily grease one half-sheet pan or 9 x 13 pan with 1/3 cup of your favorite olive oil.
Set up a 5-6 quart bowl, optional stand mixer with dough hook attachment for mixing.
in a smaller dish-
-Yeast, warm water, sugar, and oil, stirred for 15 seconds
(Stir just to combine; you want the yeast submerged in the water but it can still be clumpy. In five minutes or so, it should look foamy and bubbly).
in the large mixing bowl-
-Combine yeast mixture with all remaining ingredients in the stand mixer with dough hook attachment on medium low speed, or into a bowl and begin kneading by hand, 5 minutes .
(If dough seems too dry, add a TBSP of water at a time until the dough comes together into one mass that is tacky, but not sticky. If dough seems too wet, add a TBSP of flour at a time until the dough comes together into one mass that is tacky, but not sticky.)
Once dough looks smooth and pliable, conduct the “gluten window test.” Grab about a tablespoon sized amount of dough out of the bowl and pinch it with at least four fingers and your thumbs. Spread the dough slowly and hold it toward the light. If your dough tears, the gluten is not fully developed; keep mixing. If you can see light through it and it’s stretchy enough, that means your gluten is fully developed and your dough is ready to rest!
Let dough proof (rest and rise) covered for at least 50 minutes . The warmer it is (up to 105 degrees), the faster it will rise. You want dough to grow at least 50% in size before dividing and shaping it.
This is called the bulk fermentation. This is the 1st proof, where the yeast is given time to break down the starch as food and emit has, resulting in air bubbles in the bread as well as flavor. This also gives time for gluten to develop and the bread’s texture to improve. Even when you are not mixing, gluten is developing. The longer dough sits, the weaker the bread structure becomes and the easier it is to develop gluten.
Punch down the dough and smoosh the whole mass into the heavily greased pan gently with your hands (you can the roll dough with rolling pin initially if that helps you) until dough is even in thickness and reaches the corners of the pan. Try to do this quickly, as the more you work the dough, the more it will spring back from the corners, signaling that you've stressed out the gluten in the dough (an affect that can be minimized by quick work).
Let the tray bench rest for at least 15 minutes but up to 40 before baking. The more the loaf bench rests, the fluffier it will be (but don’t overproof, or it will collapse).
Bench resting is the second proof. It's a shorter length of time to prevent over-proofing, always done after shaping and right before baking to improve dough shapes, let gluten recover from the work you just did, and to add air bubbles and additional volume to your product.
After the bench rest, dimple the dough with your fingers (I like to hold up three fingers and go in rows down the entire flatbread), and drizzle with your favorite olive oil to finish. Additionally, your focaccia can be topped with chopped herbs, parmesan, another grated cheese, sundried tomatoes, even mushrooms or bits of bacon!
Bake for 30 minutes total, rotating the pan after 15 minutes in the oven. Color is a good indicator that it is done baking, but I like to temp my bread with an instant read thermometer. You’re looking for at least 195 degrees F, but up to 215F is fine.
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes . If you cut the bread while it is still steaming hot, this will ruin the texture. Serve warm!
As long as the weight of the flour remains the same, you can sub in up to 25% whole wheat flour, up to 30% rye, or a combination of the two. Keep in mind you do need a majority of white flour for the yeast to eat and for gluten to develop in order to create the hallmark focaccia texture. Adding other flours will also increase your proofing times.
The best way to flavor focaccia is with bold toppings. You could try fresh or sundried tomatoes, herbs, olives, cheeses of all kinds, even just a high quality pepper or finishing salt, or all of the above! Keep in mind that heavy, overly moist toppings can affect the flatbread's texture, so use sparingly and take measures to remove excessive moisture from these additions.
Serving alongside a dipping sauce or olive oil with seasoning adds extraordinary flavor as well.
