There is no shortage of focaccia recipes on my channel. But I do like to update my old videos to fit my baking style as it changes over time. This focaccia recipe was a great hit, and it is one of the best ones I have ever made. But it had one big flaw and that was the fact that it required a lot of ‘slap & fold’ kneading which takes time, effort and makes a bit of a mess.
With this new recipe those problems are a thing of the past. Kneading is replaced by a couple of folds and the result is just as good if not better. The dough never touches the table and there is no oily mess when folding and shaping. So far, it’s the ultimate focaccia recipe.
You can skip the cold fermentation if you want to make this quickly. Simply bulk ferment the dough at room temperature for 1.5 hours with two folds at 30-minute intervals. The final proof will probably only take one hour.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the dough –
200g (7oz) white bread flour
50g (1.75oz) whole wheat flour
185g (6.5oz) water
2.5g (0.09oz) instant dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) active dry yeast or 7.5g (0.26oz) fresh yeast
4g (0.14oz) salt
20g (0.7oz) olive oil
For the roasted pepper –
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
For the roasted garlic –
1 bulb of garlic
Olive oil
For the pesto –
1 roasted garlic clove
Handful of basil leaves
30g (1oz) olive oil
20g (0.7oz) parmesan
20g (0.7oz) toasted pine nuts
Pinch of salt
The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.
If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.
Method
- Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and whole wheat flour. Mix well to dissolve the salt and hydrate the yeast. Add the white flour and mix to a dough.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Fold #1.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Fold #2.
- Cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
- Make the toppings.
- Mix the peppers with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 220C (430F) fan off for 20 minutes or until browned and softened.
- Pour a little bit of oil on the garlic, wrap it up in foil and roast at 160C (320F) fan off for 1 hour.
- Make the pesto by grinding all ingredients to a paste. You can use a food processor but be careful not to run it for too long or the basil will warm up and turn brown.
- On the next day when you’re ready to proceed take the dough out of the fridge, fold it and shape it into a tight ball. Place it in an oiled baking tray and cover it with more oil.
- Final proof will take around 2 hours.
- Stud the dough with toppings and press them in well. Pour on some more olive oil if you like and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 210C (410F) fan on.
Leave to cool down and serve with the pesto.
Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.
Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.
