Focaccia with Step-by-Step Photographs | Eat, Little Hen

A simple-to-make Focaccia with Herbs and Olives which is delicate and chewy on the within and crisp on the surface. Excellent as a starter or as a facet dish! Recipe with step-by-step pictures.

Focaccia Bread

Focaccia is considered one of my go-to recipes when now we have mates over as a result of it goes with virtually any appetiser you want to serve, plus it all the time seems to be spectacular. If you happen to plan to serve a grazing board with various kinds of cheese and cured meats, a selfmade focaccia on the facet is simply what you must take every thing up a notch.

And the very best half is you could add virtually any topping you want to the focaccia! Right here, I’ve used black olives with herbs, however you may simply swap the olives for cherry tomatoes, sliced sausages, grated cheese, salami slices … the alternatives are infinite!

What’s Focaccia?

Focaccia is a yeasted flat bread which originates from Italy.

It’s comparable in style and texture to a pizza base, however it’s typically thicker and softer than a pizza dough.

Focaccia is usually served as a starter or appetiser, and it may even be sliced horizontally to type a sandwich.

Focaccia Recipe

Though I might describe this focaccia recipe as straightforward, there are a number of steps concerned if you wish to obtain the very best texture.

I occur to suppose the simplest method of creating focaccia is to begin the evening earlier than, which can let you break down the steps and break up the proofing time over 2 days. Please scroll all the way down to see my steps my making focaccia in a single day.

Having experimented with many focaccia recipes through the years, I’ve discovered that bread recipes with at the least 80% hydration give the very best outcomes for a focaccia dough. This implies the dough will likely be fairly moist and sticky, however the moisture content material means a delicate and chewy bread with simply the correct amount of air bubbles.

Typically when now we have mates over for dinner, I like to show to this focaccia recipe for a simple starter or appetiser.

Having experimented with many focaccia recipes through the years, I’ve discovered that bread recipes with at the least 80% hydration give the very best outcomes for a focaccia dough. This implies the dough will likely be fairly moist and sticky, however the moisture content material means a delicate and chewy bread with simply the correct amount of air bubbles.

Stretching and Folding the Dough

For a “regular” bread dough which yields a delicate ball of dough, you must knead the dough to develop the gluten, which is what offers you the good chewy texture of bread.

However for a moist bread dough, like this focaccia dough or a No-Knead Bread, which is inconceivable to knead, you as a substitute stretch and fold the dough to activate the gluten. And the extra usually you stretch and fold, the higher the feel the ensuing bread will likely be. Therefore, this recipe requires 3 rounds of stretching and folding, though every spherical solely requires about 1 minute of your time.

I’ve seen many focaccia recipes the place no stretching is carried out in any respect – the dough is solely combined collectively, left to proof, after which transferred to the baking dish earlier than dimpling and baking. I’ve tried this methodology too, and while you’ll be able to produce an honest loaf of focaccia with completely minimal effort, I do truly suppose spending a couple of minutes to stretch and fold the dough makes a distinction to the ultimate end result. Focaccia recipes which don’t name for any stretching or folding typically produce a dough which is denser and with few air bubbles.

On these events the place I stretch and fold the dough, I’ve discovered that the dough holds its form higher, that means a taller bread which is delicate and pillowy, and with extra air bubbles.

The best way to Make Focaccia

Step 1

Place all the dry components into a big mixing bowl. Combine calmly.

Step 2

Add the water and oil, and blend till all the flour is hydrated with the water. I favor to do that utilizing my electrical stand mixer with dough hook, however you can even use a big picket spoon. The dough must be fairly moist in texture.

Cowl the bowl and place it someplace heat for about quarter-hour to proof.

Step 3

Moist your arms, and use one hand to elevate up one fringe of the dough, stretching it upwards, earlier than folding it in direction of the centre. Repeat with all the edges of the dough, rotating the bowl as you go, and till you’ll be able to loosely type a ball of moist dough within the bowl.

Cowl the dough and place it someplace heat for one more quarter-hour.

Step 4

By now, the dough ought to have risen a bit.

Repeat the stretching and folding methodology talked about in Step 3. The dough ought to really feel extra agency and elastic by now, so it must be simpler to stretch and fold at this stage.

Cowl the bowl and place it someplace heat for 1 to 1.5 hours, or till the dough has doubled in measurement.

Step 5

Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil onto a non-stick baking tray or cast-iron skillet.

For a rectangular focaccia, I exploit a baking tray which measures 23 x 33 x 5 cm/9 x 13 x 2 inches .

For a spherical focaccia, I exploit a cast-iron skillet which is 26 cm/10 inches in diameter (see extra in Kitchen Notes beneath).

Use a spatula to switch the dough onto the pan, however strive to not deflate the dough.

Moist your arms after which fold the dough like an envelope, i.e. fold the highest third down in direction of the centre of the dough, after which fold the underside third up in direction of the centre.

Step 6

Rigorously flip the dough in order that the seam is going through down. If you’re utilizing an oblong baking tray, rotate the dough in order that the lengthy facet of the dough is following the size of the baking tray. Gently push out the dough together with your fingertips in order that it fills many of the baking tray.

Step 7

Cowl the tray with a clear tea towel or sheet of baking paper, and place the tray someplace heat for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or till the dough has risen to virtually the highest of the tray, and it has stuffed the complete baking tray with a lot of massive air bubbles.

At this stage, deal with the tray calmly and delicately in order to not deflate the air bubbles which you might have waited so patiently to type.

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F (with out fan). Place a steel tray in the course of the oven to preheat.

Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough, and sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary.

Step 9

Oil your arms and fingers, after which press your fingers into the dough to depart indents. The dough will deflate as you achieve this. Repeat till many of the dough is dimpled, however strive to not take away too many air bubbles. Tuck in some rosemary leaves into the dimples, if you want. Sprinkle over sea salt flakes.

Step 10

Bake the focaccia for 15-20 minutes, or till it’s properly golden on prime. Whether it is browning too rapidly, cowl the focaccia with a sheet of foil. Let the focaccia relaxation for about quarter-hour earlier than slicing and serving.

Suggestions for Making Focaccia Dough Forward of Time

This focaccia recipe entails a little bit of ready time for the dough to proof at varied phases – you’ll need to put aside about 4 hours to make and serve the focaccia. Regardless of the time dedication, little or no effort is required in your half at every stage.

As with most bread recipes, I sometimes make the dough the evening earlier than and permit it to rise slowly within the fridge in a single day. The longer proofing time has the additional benefit of permitting the dough to develop extra flavour and a greater texture. Come the morning, the dough could have at the least doubled in measurement, and it will likely be prepared for shaping as per the recipe. And for a focaccia which requires 4 rounds of proofing, I believe it is sensible to begin the evening earlier than.

To make the dough the evening earlier than:

• Make the dough as per the recipe till you might have accomplished the Second Mini Proof.
• Cowl the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable bowl cowl.
• Place the bowl into the fridge.
• Let the dough rise for the Third Proof in a single day, or for at the least 8-10 hours.
• The subsequent morning, the dough ought to have at the least doubled in measurement.
• Gently take away the dough from the bowl.
• The dough is prepared for shaping within the baking tray as per the recipe.
• Because the dough will likely be chilly from the fridge, the Fourth Proof might take barely longer.

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Focaccia with Herbs and Olives

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5 from 8 critiques

• Resting Time: 3.5 hours
• Creator: Thanh | Eat, Little Hen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Prepare dinner Time: 20 minutes
• Whole Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to six
• Class: Bread
• Technique: Oven
• Delicacies: Italian

A simple-to-make Focaccia with Herbs and Olives which is delicate and chewy on the within and crisp on the surface. Excellent as a starter or as a facet dish! Recipe with step-by-step pictures.

Elements

For the Focaccia

• 500 g (3 1/3 cup) bread flour
• 7 g (2 teaspoons) instantaneous dried yeast (see Kitchen Notes)
• 2 teaspoons tremendous salt
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 400–420 ml (1 2/3 cup) heat water, about 40°C/105°F
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for the dough
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, for the baking tray

For the Toppings

• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon recent rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
• sea salt flakes

Directions

BEGIN THIS RECIPE ABOUT 4 HOURS BEFORE SERVING

To Make the Focaccia Dough

1. Measure the flour, yeast, salt and sugar into the bowl of an electrical stand mixer.
2. Flippantly combine the dry components along with the dough hook.
3. Measure the water and 1 tablespoon olive oil right into a small measuring jug.
4. Slowly add the moist components to the dry components.
5. Knead the dough on low-medium pace till all the flour is mixed with the water. This step ought to take about 2 minutes.

First Mini Proof

1. Cowl the bowl of dough.
2. Place the bowl someplace heat for quarter-hour.
3. Moist your arms with some heat water.
4. Pull up the dough from one fringe of the bowl, stretching it as you go up, and bringing it down in direction of the centre of the dough. You possibly can both use your arms or a spatula for this process.
5. Repeat this stretching movement with the remaining edges of the dough.

Second Mini Proof

1. Cowl the bowl of dough once more.
2. Place the bowl someplace heat for one more quarter-hour.
3. By now, the dough ought to have elevated in measurement.
4. Repeat the stretching movement talked about within the First Mini Proof.

Third Proof

1. Cowl the bowl of dough.
2. Place the bowl someplace heat for 1 to 1.5 hours, or till the dough has doubled in measurement.

Fourth Proof

1. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil onto a non-stick baking pan measuring 23 x 33 x 5 cm/9 x 13 x 2 inches. If you’re anxious in regards to the focaccia sticking to the pan, you can even line the pan with baking paper first.
2. Rigorously switch the dough onto the pan.
3. Fold the underside third of the dough in direction of the centre.
4. Then fold the highest third of the dough in direction of the centre. You must now have a fats log of dough.
5. Flip the dough over in order that the seam is going through down, and the size of dough follows the size of the pan.
6. Use your fingertips to softly push the dough out to virtually fill the pan.
7. Cowl the dough with a clear tea towel and place the pan someplace heat for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or till the dough has virtually risen to the highest of the pan, and it has unfold to fill the pan (or many of the pan) with massive air bubbles.

To Embellish the Focaccia

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F (with out fan).
2. Place a steel baking sheet on the center shelf of the oven.
3. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough.
4. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary.
5. Oil your arms with some olive oil to stop the dough from sticking to your fingers.
6. Use your fingers to make random indents within the dough, pushing all the best way to the underside. As you achieve this, push out the dough to fill the baking tray, if essential.
7. Sprinkle the dough generously with sea salt flakes.
8. Embellish the dough nevertheless you would like (equivalent to with rosemary twigs).

To Bake the Focaccia

1. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or till the focaccia is calmly golden.
2. I like to recommend ready about quarter-hour earlier than slicing the focaccia. This may enable the bread to relaxation, which can end in a cleaner slice while you minimize it with a serrated knife.
3. The focaccia is greatest eaten on the identical day.

Kitchen Notes

MAKE A ROUND FOCACCIA
To make a spherical focaccia in a cast-iron skillet measuring 26 cm/10 inches, scale back the recipe to 75% as follows:
375 g (2 1/2 cups) bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instantaneous dried yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons tremendous salt
2 teaspoons caster sugar (superfine sugar)
315 ml (1 1/4 cup) heat water
1 tablespoon olive oil, for the dough
2–3 tablespoons olive oil, for the pan

VARIATIONS
* Omit the olives to make a easy herb focaccia.
* Substitute the olives with halved cherry tomatoes.
* Substitute the olives with roasted garlic cloves.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOUR
* For Swiss readers: I exploit Zopfmehl (or farine pour tresse) when making bread and enriched dough.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF YEAST
* Please be aware that there’s a distinction between instantaneous yeast (additionally known as instantaneous dried yeast or fast-action dried yeast) and dried yeast (additionally known as energetic dry yeast). If you’re unsure what sort of yeast you might have, please examine the packaging for directions on how one can use the yeast.
* With instantaneous yeast, you’ll be able to add it on to the flour combination with out having to activate it first.
* With dried yeast, you’ll need to activate it first (often in some heat liquid).

PROOFING THE DOUGH
Dough wants a heat setting for the yeast to activate and trigger the dough to rise. If you happen to don’t have a heat place in your house, strive one of many following concepts:
* Within the oven with the oven gentle switched on (works just for some ovens).
* Within the oven with a tray of boiling water on the underside shelf.
* Within the oven at a low temperature of about 25-30°C (77-86°F).

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this web site state temperatures for a daily oven (i.e. a standard oven with out fan). When you’ve got a convection oven with a fan, please seek the advice of the producer’s handbook on how one can regulate the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To transform from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this useful Conversion Chart for Fundamental Elements.

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This recipe was first printed on 14 October 2020. It has been up to date with extra complete recipe notes.