Focaccia bread was one of the first recipes we tried because it's the easiest to make! You can make it in the same day or in two days and both methods leave you with a fluffy and crusty bread. It requires zero kneading and It's also so versatile! You can make a pizza out of it! You can make sandwiches, you can dip it in olive oil, you can eat along a cozy warm soup; the ideas are endless! In this recipe we're gonna show you a simple one day focaccia with green olives and tomatoes. Grab your ingredients and follow along!
Ingredients
- 256 g of bread flour
- 5 g of salt
- 4 gr instant yeast
- 240 g of water at room temperature.
- 1 cup of green olives (optional)
- 1 cup of grape tomatoes (optional)
- Olive oil for drizzling the baking pan, your dough and your hands.
You'll also need a bowl, a Danish whisk, a scale and a 7" x 11" baking pan; any shape works! just make sure there is enough room for the dough to spread.
Method
1. Add flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and mix it well.
2. Add water and mix it all together until you have a rough ball, then cover it and leave it out at room temperature for 3 hours. If you'd rather bake the focaccia the next day, jump to the bottom of this recipe for instructions.
3. After the 3 hours, you'll do one stretch and fold:
- How to fold: Wet your hands slightly before handling the dough as the dough will be very sticky. Stretch the dough gently upwards and fold it over the dough itself, rotate your bowl clockwise and do the same. Do this until you complete a 360.
4. Prepare your pan by pouring about 1 tbs of olive oil and spread it a bit. This will prevent the dough from sticking and give it a yummy crust.
5. Transfer your dough to your baking pan. Simply lift it from your bowl and place it on the pan. Pour some olive oil on top of your dough and let it out at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours or until it has spread throughout the pan. You don't need to cover it, but if you want, a light tea towel would be sufficient.
6. Once your dough has spread in your baking pan, it's time to preheat your oven at 420 F for 30 minutes. You want the oven nice and hot.
7. Once your oven is preheated, add your toppings (Feel free to switch toppings to your own liking!) by simply placing them on top of your dough without disturbing it too much. Once all your olives and tomatoes are on your dough, it's time to dimple it!
8. Get some olive oil on your hands and spread your fingers like claws and start pressing your dough throughout. Make sure you get the toppings pressed as well as they can burn if they're sticking out too much. Be gentle when dimpling and have fun! Also, you can sprinkle sea salt flakes on top as the dough itself doesn't have much salt.
9. From there, immediately put it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until it's golden brown. And that's it. Enjoy!
Notes
If you'd rather bake the focaccia the next day for more of a fluffy texture, after you mix all the ingredients together, cover it and place it in the fridge for 10 to 18 hours. The next day continue with step 3.
You can also double the recipe! It works perfectly.
Feel free to experiment with your favorite vegetables, herbs and cheese! Let your creative juices flow and make it your own. Happy baking!