Cold, refrigerated dough is the secret to making delicious focaccia! Allowing the dough to rest 12 to 24 hours in the fridge yields the best results. This recipe requires only 5 minutes of hands-on time to stir together flour, salt, instant yeast, and water. The focaccia will emerge from the oven pillowy and golden.
So how do we make the focaccia?
The Best Ever Focaccia
All you have to do is plop all the ingredients in a bowl, you don't even need a mixer for this
Bloom your yeast- Mix water with sugar and yeast and mix well, set it aside for at least 5-10 minutes or until bubbles are formed at the surface.
Mix in all the ingredients - Add salt and flour on top of the yeast mixture and mix until a very sticky dough is formed
First rise- Add 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl, grease the bowl with it, add your dough to the greased bowl and add another tablespoon of olive oil on top to prevent the dough from drying and cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours
Deflating and shaping - Using greased hands or forks, deflate the dough by folding it onto itself and turning the bowl 90 degrees after every turn, do this 4 times. Using the forks or hands divide the dough equally into two (if baking 2 9" focaccias) and add the dough in greased pans lined with parchment
Second rise - Cover the dough and let it rest for another 2-3 hours or until doubled
Baking the focaccia- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or 2 if baking a 9x13") on top of each focaccia, grease your hands and start dimpling them. Add flaky salt and bake.
Yield: 1 9x13" or 2 9"
INGREDIENTS 4 cups (512g) Bread flour/All purpose flour
2-1/4t (12g) Salt
2-14t (8g) Instant yeast
2-1/4 cups+2T (450g) lukewarm water
6T Olive oil, divided (into 1 tablespoon)
Flaky sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, water, and yeast, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then add the flour and, salt. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a bowl and grease the bowl with it, add the dough to the bowl and rub the surface of the dough lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours.
Line two 9-inch circular tins or a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper or grease with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour a tablespoon of oil into the center of each pan (or 2 tablespoons of oil if using the 9×13-inch pan). Using two greased forks (or your greased hand), deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Use the forks (or a dough scraper) to split the dough into two equal pieces (or do not split if using the 9×13-inch pan). Place the piece/pieces in the middle of the prepared pans. Let the dough balls rest for 2 to 3 hours (or until the dough has expanded and reached almost to the edges of the pan) depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F. Pour another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. Rub your hands lightly in the oil to coat, then, using all of your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt all over.
Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the focaccia to cooling racks. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
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