Focaccia
This month, the Daring Bakers were challenged by April from Pizzarosa and Sawson from Chef In Disguise to make focaccia. I have never made this Italian rustic bread before, so I was excited. I decided to go with the classic version and bake a focaccia with rosemary and sea salt sprinkled on top. It was so delicious–crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, with tastes of rosemary, salt, and olive oil. What I loved most about making this focaccia, however, was kneading the dough. Kneading bread dough can be quite a task, but once you fall into its rhythm it becomes very meditative. It’s also magical–I love how an annoyingly sticky, wet mess can transform into a beautifully smooth ball of dough all within 10 minutes. I must remember to bake more bread. I think it’s good for me.
Let’s get to it. You begin with a poolish. Make a well in the flour/salt mixture and pour in the yeast and water. Mix just a little flour into the well the cover with a towel and set aside for 20 minutes. It should be bubbling up a bit when the time is up.
After 20 minutes, mix in the rest of the flour/salt along with olive oil, white wine and a little more water. Once the dough starts to come together, then dump it all on a clean surface and knead for 10 minutes. Towards the end our the kneading process, sprinkle on a tablespoon of the chopped rosemary. Knead that in too.
To make sure that you have kneaded long enough, pull the dough apart gently. If you can stretch it really thin without it ripping then you’ve created enough gluten. This is called the “window pane test”.
Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel.
Set aside to rise for 3 hours, or until doubled in size.
Punch it down, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Shape it in a rough 9-inch circle, cover it and proof it for one more hour.
Place it on an oiled baking sheet, brush oil on top then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary. Oh, and don’t forget to make those cute little dimples!
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 400 degree F. oven. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing it up.
- 2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
- 3/4 cup Water, divided (you might need more water than this if the dough is too dry)
- 3 1/2 cups (437.5 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil, plus additional olive oil to finish
- 1/3 cup Dry White Wine
- 2 TBS fresh Rosemary, (1 TBS finely chopped)
- Sea Salt for sprinkling
- Sprinkle the yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water in a bowl. Leave for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast.
- Use a wooden spoon to draw enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to form a soft paste. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let "sponge" until frothy and risen, about 20 minutes.
- Add the olive oil and the white wine to the well. Mix in the flour. Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to form a soft, sticky dough. If you've poured in all of of the water, and it is still dry then pour in more until you have a wet, sticky dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic about 10 minutes. Work a tablespoon of the finely chopped rosemary into the dough towards the end of kneading.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours. Once risen, punch the dough down and then let rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 9-inch circle. Place on an oiled baking sheet and cover with a dish towel. Proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Use your fingertips to press into the surface of the dough to form dimples. Be sure not to puncture the dough all of the way through. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining rosemary and sea salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Brush the top with additional oil immediately. Cool on a wire rack.
- Baking sheet
- Wooden spoon
- Pastry brush
