I recently was cheffing a birthday dinner and messed up focaccia so badly it sent me into a focaccia making spree. My perfectionist side vowed to never mess up focaccia again, so this past week has been filled with perfecting focaccia. This is ironic since I have celiac disease and cannot even eat the focaccia, but trust me, it has been tested on my fiancé, neighbors, and friends, and it has been perfected.
So what went wrong with my failed focaccia? I think a few things. First, my yeast was no longer good. I did not check that it was still active because I was rushing and being lazy. But you should always test your yeast to make sure it is active. To do this, pour it into warm water and add a pinch of sugar. Whisk together and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If it is active, it will start bubbling and grow. If it is dead, it will not. Simple as that.
There is also a chance I used water that was too hot for this dough. Hot water actually kills yeast. You want warm water, around 105°F, to activate the yeast but not kill it.
Finally, I used all purpose flour instead of bread flour. This is not the only thing that did me in, but it was a factor that contributed to a different texture along with the above issues. You definitely can use all purpose flour. I just find bread flour gives a better texture.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Bread Flour – Bread flour has a higher protein content which creates more gluten and gives the focaccia its chewy airy structure. You can substitute all purpose flour, but the texture will be slightly softer and less structured.
- Sugar – Sugar lightly feeds the yeast and helps encourage browning during baking. You can substitute honey.
- Instant Dry Yeast – Instant yeast provides reliable rise and can be mixed directly into the flour without blooming. You can substitute active dry yeast, just dissolve it in the warm water first.
- Warm Water – Warm water hydrates the flour and activates the yeast to start fermentation. Do not use hot water, it will kill the yeast!
- Olive Oil – Olive oil adds rich flavor, helps create the signature crisp focaccia crust, and keeps the crumb tender. You can substitute butter, but you will lose some classic flavor.
Same Day Focaccia
Prep Time: 3 Hours (not all active)
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 3 Hours 25 minutes
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups warm water
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2-3 pinches Maldon sea salt for topping
- 2 tsp dried rosemary for topping
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Make sure your yeast is active. Add the yeast, sugar and 1 cup of warm water to a bowl. Whisk together and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If it is active it will grow and bubble and you can use it.
STEP 2.
Make the dough. In a bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the warm yeast water and 1 more cup of warm water. Use a spatula or Danish whisk to make a dough. The dough should be damp, knead a few times with your hands to from into a ball.
STEP 3.
In a new bowl coat the bottom with olive oil. Add the dough ball and coat the top with olive oil. Cover with a towel and rest for 30 minutes.
STEP 4.
After 30 minutes begin the stretch and fold process. Take the side from the dough and stretch and fold into the middle. Do this on all sides, roughly 4-5 sides. Cover with a towel and rest 30 minutes. Do this three more times.
STEP 5.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
STEP 6.
After the final rest, pour the dough out onto an oiled 9×12″ sheet tray. Stretch it slightly to help fit the pan. Coat the top with oil and cover with a towel and rest for 30 more minutes.
STEP 7.
Remove the towel and press your fingers all over to make dents in the dough. Top with maldon and dried rosemary and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
STEP 8.
Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
STEP 9.
Enjoy!
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