Soft and Crispy Focaccia
Use a 9x13 baking pan with sides
800 gr. Bread or All-purpose Flour
2 cups room temperature water
1 pkg. active/instant Yeast
1 Tbsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp honey or sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
6 cloves of garlic, grated
Olive oil (have ½ cup on hand)
1. In a small bowl add water and yeast, honey; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 minutes
2. Add salt and 2 Tbsp. olive oil
3. In a food processor, add ½ of the flour, garlic powder and pulse 5x to aerate
4. Add yeast mixture and pulse 5x to mix.
5. Add the rest of the flour, mix one minute till dough forms. It will be sticky.
6. Pour a little oil on a cutting board and turn dough out. Let it rest 10 minutes.
7. With floured hands, knead 10x to develop gluten. Dough should be smooth.
8. Turned into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and then place a damp towel over.
9. Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
10. Place dough in fridge for 24 hours.
FIRST RISE:
1. Remove dough from fridge. Place on a floured board. Spray with oil then cover with plastic
wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
2. Lift and stretch the dough and fold it onto itself. Turn bowl 45 degrees, repeat lifting and
stretching 4x more
3. Cover and let dough rest 30 minutes. Then repeat lifting and folding the dough again. Let it rest
covered another 30 minutes. If the dough is still tight, let it rest again, covered 30 more
minutes. Then repeat the lifting and stretching until it stretches easily.
4. MAKE TOPPING: In a small bowl, add ¼ cup olive oil, grated garlic cloves, fresh rosemary,
(optional a pinch of red pepper flakes.) Set aside
1. Generously cover bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with olive oil
2. Uncover dough and stretch into the pan pressing into the corners,
3. Cover with a damp towel and let rise again 45-50 minutes
4. Using the palm of your hands, stretch dough again easing it into corners.
5. Dimple all over with fingertips
6. Drizzle marinated topping evenly all over. Adding a little more olive oil and a little salt.
7. Heat oven 450F. Let it rest, uncovered while oven heats
8. Bake 20-25 minutes till golden brown. Pour a little more olive all over top before cutting.
9. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then lift out of pan to cut into serving pieces.