Crispy, Fluffy Focaccia
September 14, 2024 • Breads,
I am a cook. I’m not a baker. I readily admit to my lack of skills when it comes to baking anything other than quick breads. But I tried one more time to make some focaccia bread for a dinner with friends, and I have to say, I nailed it! I adapted this recipe a bit from the Home Cooking Collective blog, primarily adding more water because it’s dry, dry, dry here in Colorado, and adding extra yeast because I never seem to get a good rise from bread dough.
Well you can see that did the trick, as the uncooked dough is big and bubbly. Plan ahead for this one – you want to make the dough at least a day ahead of time.
Crispy, Fluffy Focaccia
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Cooking with Michele
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 5 cups flour (high protein flour is recommended but I used all purpose and it worked fine)
- 1 package rapid rise, fast acting yeast (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 cups room temperature water, or more as needed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Olive oil
- Flaky salt, seasoned or plain
Instructions
- Combine the flour and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Combine the water and 2 tablespoons olive oil and pour into the well. Use a fork or your hands to combine the wet and dry ingredients. The dough should still be sticky when it comes fully together, so add a bit more water if needed and work it into the dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and rest for 20 minutes. Take the dough from the bowl and pull it and fold it over, working in both directions for 3-4 times. Return to the bowl and cover. Repeat the dough stretching a total of 4 times over 2 hours.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate at least 24 hours, or up to 48 hours.
- A couple of hours before you plan to bake the focaccia, remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Spread a generous layer of olive oil on a 9 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet, then pull the ball of dough from the ball, make sure it gets some olive oil all sides of the dough, and stretch it out slightly on the pan. Cover lightly and let it rest, stretching it to fill the pan after 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Dip your fingers in olive oil, and press your fingers into the dough to form dimples. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Throw about ½ cup water on the bottom of the hot oven just before putting the focaccia in to bake and quickly close the door to keep the steam in. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees, reduce heat to 400 degrees, and bake another 10 minutes.
- The top and bottom of the focaccia should be nicely browned and crisp. Leave the bread in the oven a few more minutes if it needs more browning.
- Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.