Best Homemade Focaccia Recipe
Cold dough is secret to making delicious focaccia! Allowing dough to rest 18 - 48 hours in fridge will yield extra pillowy & airy-focaccia, though if you're pressed for time, you can make this start to finish in 3hours.
Ingredients
- Salt - 2 Teaspoons (10 g)
- All-purpose flour or bread flour - 4 Cups (512 g)
- Olive oil - 4 Tablespoons (divided)
- Instant yeast - 2 Teaspoons (8 g)
- Lukewarm water - 2 cups (455 g) (made by combining 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/2 cups cold water)
- Butter for greasing
- Flaky sea salt - (such as Maldon)
- Whole rosemary leaves - 1-2 Teaspoons (optional)
See Also: Best Homemade Pad Thai Recipe
Preparation:
Step 1:
Make the dough: In large bowl, whisk together salt, flour, & instant yeast. Add water. Using rubber spatula, mix till liquid is absorbed & ingredients form a sticky-dough-ball. Rub surface of dough lightly with olive-oil. Cover bowl with damp tea-towel, cloth bowl-cover, or plastic-wrap & place in refrigerator immediately for at least 12hours (or) for as-long-as three days.
NOTE: It is important that dough really be slicked with olive-oil, especially if you are using cloth bowl-cover (or) tea-towel as opposed to plastic-wrap or hard-lid. If you are using a tea-towel, consider it securing with rubber-band to make more airtight-cover. If you don't slick dough with enough-oil, you risk dough drying out & forming crust over the top-layer.
Step 2:
Line two 8inches or 9inches pie plates (or) 9×13 inches pan with parchment paper (or) grease with butter (or) coat with non-stick cooking spray.
Note: This greasing step may seem excessive, but with some pans, it is imperative to do so, to prevent sticking.
Step 3:
Pour a table-spoon of oil in the center of each pan, or 2 table-spoons of oil if using 9×13 inches pan. Using two forks, deflate dough by releasing it from sides of bowl & pulling-it toward center. Rotate bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass in a rough-ball. Use forks to split dough in two equal pieces (or don't split if using the 9 × 13 inches pan). Place one piece in one of the prepared pans. Roll dough ball in oil to coat it all over, forming a rough-ball. Repeat with remaining piece. Let dough balls rest for 3 - 4hours depending on temperature of your kitchen.
Step 4:
Set a rack in middle of oven, & pre-heat it to 425 °F. If using rosemary, sprinkle it over dough. Pour table-spoon of oil over each round of dough (or two table-spoons if using 9 × 13 inches pan). Rub your hands lightly in oil to coat, then using all of your fingers, press straight down to create deep-dimples. If necessary, gently stretch dough as you dimple to allow dough to fill pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea-salt all over.
Step 5:
Transfer pans (or) pan to oven & bake for 25-30 mins, till underside is crisp & golden. Remove pans (or) pan from oven & transfer focaccia to cooling-rack. Let it cool for 10 mins before cutting & serving. Let it cool completely, if you are halving it with intention of making a sandwich.
