From Scratch Focaccia Bread Recipe
Focaccia bread is both delicious and so simple to make. It is such a fun homemade bread to make and share with those around you.
Ingredients
- 5 cups bread flour works better than all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and stir together with a Danish Whisk, your hands, or a stand mixer. Make a well in the center and add in your olive oil and water. Stir about three minutes or until all of the flour is hydrated. This is a very wet dough and may not pull away from the sides of the bowl. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- Coat a cookie sheet with olive oil. Next, transfer the dough to the dish and pat it into a rectangle of sorts. Working on each side, pull the dough up and away from the sheet pan to stretch it about a foot in the air. Then fold it back over about two thirds of the dough, as if you were folding a letter, and press it together. Repeat this process with each side of the dough, 4 times. Then flip the dough so that the seams are facing down, coat the top with olive oil, and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- After thirty minutes you will notice that the dough has puffed up and spread on the sheet pan. Uncover it and perform another series of stretch and folds. The dough should be smoother and have a little less give than last time. Once again, flip the dough seam side down, oil the top, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for thirty minutes to one hour.
- At the end of the hour the dough should be ready to be dimpled. Using all of your fingers, begin pressing the dough from the center out towards the edges of the pan. Press your fingers all the way toward the bottom of the pan without breaking through the dough. When you’ve covered three quarters of the pan, you are ready to cover it with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator overnight or up to five days.
- Take the focaccia dough out of the refrigerator about 2 hours before you want to bake it. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. You’ll notice that it has risen in the refrigerator, and it will continue to puff up as it comes to room temperature. Prior to topping, repeat the dimpling process, using your fingers to gently deflate the focaccia dough and spread it from the center out towards the edges of the pan.
- Finally, top your focaccia bread as desired. Bake on 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and an instant read thermometer should read 200 degrees.
- Once the bread is out of the oven, let it rest five minutes before slicing. Serve to a happy crew!