Focaccia Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of the many breads I make, and I do make a lot, this must be the most loved. I am yet to meet one person who didn’t love focaccia. Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread similar in style to pizza dough. It is fluffy and rich and flavoured with olive oil and salt. This is one of those times when you need to use the best olive oil you can afford for this bread gets most of its flavour from the olive oil. This bread is easy to make, however, it does need to rise/proof  four (4) times for its rich flavours to develop. This is one of Bruno’s recipes, one of my mentors in all things bread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

(1) 210 ml Water (3/4 Cup)

(2) 300 Grams Bread Flour (A little over 2 cups)

(3) 60 Grams Semolina Flour (1/2 Cup)

(4) 1 Teaspoon Salt

(5) 7 Grams Instant Yeast

(6) 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1/4 Cup) (More for Topping)

(7) Kosher Salt/Fleur de Sel and Fennel Seeds for Topping

PROCEDURE:

(1) Put all your ingredients in a bowl, add your water and half of the olive oil and knead until the dough comes together. About 2 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Turn the dough on to your work surface, add the remaining olive oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. About 7 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Place the dough in a bowl greased with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size. (First rise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) After 2 hours, deflate the dough on a lightly oiled work surface, shape the dough into a ball, place in the bowl again, cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes. (Second Rise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) After 45 minutes, deflate the dough, shape into a ball again and place on an oven safe pan or skillet. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to relax for another 45 minutes. (Third Rise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: After this third rise, you can use this dough to make Focaccia Pizza. Recipe here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) After 45 minutes, spray some olive oil over the dough, and using your fingers, make pockets in the dough while you spread it out to cover the pan. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to proof one last time for another 45 minutes. (Forth Rise)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) 30 minutes to the end of last rise, preheat oven to 500 degrees.

(8) At the end of the last rise, use a wooden skewer to prick large air bubbles if any. Spread some kosher salt and fennel seeds over the bread and bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, brush the top with a little more olive oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: In place of fennel seeds, you can use other seeds and herbs like rosemary and thyme to top your focaccia bread. You can also use garlic and sun dried tomato.

Serve the focaccia with some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It is sooooo goooood!!!!.