Makes 1 Large Tray - about 30 x 50cm
Ingredients
500g "00" Flour
400g Water (Grams not Mls)
5g Fresh Yeast - dry yeast amounts in notes.
10g Salt
EVOO
Water
Method
In a large mixing bowl add 380g of lukewarm water and use your fingers to dissolve the yeast in it, then mix in the flour. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes, preferably in a warm spot.
For the final 20g of water, use hot water and put it in a glass with the salt, mix till majority has dissolved. Once it has cooled pour it over the dough and squeeze the dough to mix the brine through it. Let it rest for another 30 minutes, always covered.
With this next step you need to imagine the dough has four sides, pull each side up and over, do this once for each side and then let it rest, covered, again. You can dip your hands in water if you find the dough sticks to you too much. This step needs to be repeated another two times, with 30 minutes of resting after each time. Make sure you let it rest even after the third time.
At this point you can either use the dough straight away or it can go into the fridge if you're making it ahead of time (if it's only for a few hours later, keep it out of the fridge). It can stay in there for up to 2 days, just take it out about an hour before the next step so it can come to room temperature.
Preheat your oven to the highest it will go - mine is 280°c and place your oven rack ready in the top third position.
Now it's time to shape the focaccia.
Get your tray, line it with baking paper and drizzle some EVOO, tip out your dough and grab the sides and lightly stretch it. Try not to press down on the dough as you'll knock down all the air bubbles we've just made.
The focaccia should be about 1 - 1.5cm thick.
Once the dough has almost reached the size of the tray, you can use the tips of you're 3 middle fingers (both hands) to make indents in the dough, remember to dodge those visible bubbles. These holes will be where our oil and salt gets stuck inside and at the same time you're giving the dough that extra stretch it needs to reach the edges.
Let the dough rest for another 15 minutes and in this time you can sort out your toppings.
My favourite is onion, it's a salty, sweet mix that I just love. To make it - slice up a large red onion and add it to a bowl with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of EVOO, you want to use your hands to squeeze the onion a little.
You can keep it plain so you can slice and fill it, maybe a few sprigs of rosemary or even dot it with olives, it's totally up to you. Regardless of what you decide though, YOU CANT SKIP making the brine. Into a little bowl add a about a tsp of salt, 50ml of water and a good drizzle of EVOO, give it a mix.
Now that the focaccia has had its final rest, you might notice the indentations you left aren't so deep anymore, you can roughly press in a few more, then evenly pour over your brine. Add your toppings and put it into the oven to cook. Mine took 25 minutes the first time, and 20 the second time, so it all depends on the dough, on the day. After about 20 minutes start to keep an eye on it that it's not browning too much, but you can take it as far as you like.
Serve immediately and then start the process all over again, because I know you're shattered you didn't double the recipe.
Enjoy x
My Tip: Fresh yeast can be frozen so you've always got it on hand, but if your using dried yeast use these amounts. Dry Active Yeast - 2.5g. Instant Yeast - 1.25g.
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