Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread which is soft and slightly chewy and is usually baked in a pan with lots of olive oil. Think of it a something between a pizza dough and bread. It is often thick, airy and has little dimples pressed into the surface with your fingers before baking.
What makes focaccia special is firstly, it is an olive oil-rich dough. The olive oil gives it a golden crispy outside and soft inside. Secondly, it has a dimpled top which helps to hold oil and whatever toppings you want to put on top. Finally, it is made from simple ingredients - flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil. Some of the common toppings are rosemary and coarse salt, cherry tomatoes, olives and caramelised onions
Focaccia is usually eaten as a side with meals. Some people cut it open for sandwiches. It can also be a snack on its own. It is one of those breads that is simple but really satisfying with crispy edges and fluffy middle and full of flavour from olive oil.
I have made lots of focaccia but with different toppings and inclusions.
Ingredients:
- 410 g warm water
- 7 g yeast
- 5 g honey
- 15 g extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 10 g sea salt
- 500 g bread flour
- 50 g peeled garlic - sliced or chopped
- Cooking oil or melted butter (enough to cover the sliced garlic to prepare garlic confit)
- 40 g green onions
- 45 g shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp-heap black pepper
Method:
- Prepare the garlic confit. Add sliced or chopped garlic into a sauce pan. Add enough cooking oil or melted butter to cover the garlic. Turn on the fire and slowly cook the garlic using the lowest flame. (We just want to soften and not brown the garlic.)
- Once the garlic has softened, let it cool down completely.
- Add warm water, yeast, honey, EVOO and sea salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix them all up.
- Weigh and add the bread flour to the bowl.
- Mix the flour with the liquid ingredients till no flour can be seen.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform the first set of stretch and fold.
- Wet your hand.
- Grab one corner of the dough (call it the North corner), stretch it and fold it over onto itself.
- Give the bowl a quarter turn, grab another corner (the West corner), stretch it and fold it onto itself.
- Repeat by giving the bowl another quarter turn, grab the corner (the South corner), stretch it and fold it onto the dough itself.
- Finally, give the bowl another quarter turn, grab another corner (the East corner), stretch it and fold it onto the dough itself.
- Cover the bowl with the towel.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform the second set of stretch and fold. Repeat the steps under the first set of stretch and fold.
- Cover the bowl with the towel and let the dough rest for one-and-half hour (or until it doubles in size.
- Prepare a 10 inch x 15 inch pan with non-stick parchment paper. Grease it with some EVOO.
- Tip the dough onto the pan.
- Gently spread out the dough on the pan.
- Spread the garlic on the dough, followed by the green onion, black pepper and shredded cheese.
- Take the shorter length and fold it into a third of the dough.
- Take the bottom third and it over the 1st third.
- Slide the dough lengthwise.
- Turn over the dough so that the smooth side is up.
- Cover the dough and let it proof for one-and-half-hour or until it doubles in size.
- Add some EVOO on the dough and dimple it.
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top
- Bake the dough at 220 degrees C for 25 minutes.
