Focaccia Recipe
2 ¼ cups heat water (about 100F)
2 teaspoons honey
2 ½ teaspoons yeast
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus extra
5 cups flour
2.5 teaspoons kosher salt
Toppings (elective)
Mix water, honey, and yeast within the bowl of a stand mixer (or different giant bowl) and let sit for five minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of oil adopted by the flour (correctly measured by spooning the flour right into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off) and salt. Combine on low utilizing the dough hook attachment till simply mixed (alternatively, combine utilizing a wood spoon or your fingers). The dough will likely be shaggy and sticky. Cowl the combination with a moist material and permit it to relaxation for 30-45 minutes (this relaxation permits the flour to soak up the water and for gluten to start growing, which can make the kneading course of simpler). After the remainder, combine the dough on low for about 1 minute.
Generously grease a big container or bowl with olive oil and switch the dough into your chosen vessel. Flip the dough over in order that it’s coated in oil. Cowl and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
A number of hours earlier than you’re able to bake, flippantly butter and generously oil a 13×9 inch baking pan (if you happen to’d like a crispier focaccia, use a baking sheet as a substitute). Take away the dough from the fridge. Utilizing each fingers scoop up the center of the dough and stretch it upwards till the ends come free from the container. Fold the ends below the remainder of the dough. Repeat the stretching and folding course of 2-3 instances (this video demonstrates this system properly). This builds a bit of additional power within the dough, gently de-gases it, and offers it a tough form. Switch the dough seam facet all the way down to the ready pan. (When you don’t really feel comfy with the stretch and folding course of or simply don’t really feel prefer it, you may simply scoop the dough into your baking pan of alternative…the distinction will likely be pretty negligible.) Stretch the dough barely towards the perimeters of the pan, however don’t fear if it’s not filling it, it should broaden outward in addition to upward because it rises. Cowl and permit the focaccia to rise in a heat spot for about 1.5-2 hours.
With an oiled finger, gently poke the dough. If it springs again slowly and leaves a small indentation, it’s completely proofed and you’ll transfer on to the following step. If it springs again shortly, it’s under-proofed – permit to rise for half an hour longer. If it deflates/doesn’t spring again in any respect, then it’s in all probability over-proofed…don’t despair, simply bake as directed and know that the top product could also be slightly denser and flatter than it in any other case would have been, and take a look at once more tomorrow!
Preheat the oven to 450F. When you’re utilizing a baking sheet, gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. Utilizing all ten fingers, dimple the bread throughout by poking your fingers practically to the underside of the pan. Drizzle the bread with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and high as desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till the focaccia is pulling away from the edges of the pan and the highest is golden brown and crispy.
*When you’d like to make use of this as a pizza base, use a baking sheet and skip the dimpling step. Observe that it’ll primarily be a thick crust Sicilian/Grandma fashion pie. For a thinner crust (although nonetheless not tremendous skinny), you may divide the dough between two baking sheets. It doubtless gained’t fill the entire baking sheet, so simply kind it into an rectangular form after the rise.
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