Foccacia
Homemade Italian style Foccacia with herbs and tomatoes
Ingredients
- 5 dl Water (37 C)
- 100 g Fresh Yeast
- 600 g Wheat flour Add more if needed
- 100 g Spelt Flour You can also use regular wheat flour instead
- 175 g Olive oil
- 20 g Salt
- 50 g Olive oil for the pan Before stretching the dough on the baking sheet and on top of the bread
Instructions
How to make Italian Foccacia
- Mix the yeast and water – Stir together the water and crumbled yeast until dissolved.
- Incorporate the flour – Add half of the flour and mix well. Then, gradually add the remaining flour and continue mixing.
- Add salt and olive oil – Once the flour is fully incorporated, mix in the salt and knead. Finally, add the olive oil.
- Knead the dough – Work the olive oil into the dough until fully absorbed. Knead for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer or 15 minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rise
- Transfer the dough to a generously oiled mixing bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, a lid, or a kitchen towel, and let it rise at room temperature for approximately 4 hours.
Folding the dough
- Every 30 minutes, perform a four-way fold by gently stretching the edges of the dough and folding them toward the center. This strengthens the gluten structure. After 4 hours, place the dough in its mixing bowl, covered, in the refrigerator to rise slowly for about 20 hours.
Baking the foccacia
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.Once the dough has warmed up, preheat your oven to 275°C (525°F) and place a baking sheet inside to heat until very hot. Drizzle olive oil onto the hot baking sheet, then carefully stretch and press the dough onto it.
- After stretching the dough onto the oiled baking sheet and creating dimples by gently pressing your fingers into the surface, it's time to add the toppings. Arrange halved cherry tomatoes, pitted olives, and fresh rosemary leaves evenly over the dough, pressing them gently into the dimples to ensure they adhere. Finish by sprinkling more olive oil and flaky sea salt across the surface to enhance the flavors.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust reaches your desired level of color crispiness. Gently lift the focaccia to check the underside; it should also be lightly browned, indicating it's fully cooked.
- After baking, allow the focaccia to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing to let the interior set properly.
Notes
Focaccia offers a delightful canvas for a variety of toppings, allowing for both traditional and inventive flavor combinations. Incorporating ingredients such as bell peppers or mushrooms can add a different deliciousness to the bread. Try also thyme and sage.