Maybe you jumped on the sourdough wagon last year got confused, frustrated, and decided breadmaking wasn't for you. Focaccia is an easy place to start that’s not overwhelming and makes delicious bread without taking a lot of time or skill. Crispy, soft, salty, and chewy this recipe checks all the boxes for what I want in bread.

A great base recipe to have in your cooking arsenal. Make it to accompany holiday dinners or to just mix up weekly lunches. The topping combos you can add are endless. Anything goes add onions, herbs, garlic from the garden, or maybe even a little parmesan. Mushrooms or cherry tomatoes would be super yummy too.

But before we get to the recipe let’s go over some bread-making basics.

Bread Making Lingo to know

Blooming Yeast: active dry yeast is coated in a dehydrated powder that needs to be rehydrated in warm water before mixing in with the flour. This is also a way to test to see if the yeast is still alive.

Proofing Process: the step in bread making that activates the yeast in the dough. Yeast eats the carbs and releases carbon dioxide gases that allow the dough to rise and expand. This is essential to bread making; if the yeast can’t release the co2 then the gluten can’t stretch to hold the air bubbles to create an airy texture. This happens usually in 2 stages or rises.

Yeast: is a fungus used in baking that during fermentation (proofing) converts sugar and starch into carbon dioxide and alcohol. This makes the dough rise and expand. Different types of yeast include active dry, fresh yeast, rapid rise, and instant yeast.

Kneading: Massaging the dough turning large air pockets created during proofing into smaller pockets that create a more uniform texture.

Common Bread-Making Questions

What does it mean to proof the yeast?

Blooming and proofing yeast is the same thing. Before baking with Active dry yeast you need to test to make sure it’s still alive. It is dormant until dissolved into lukewarm water (110 degrees). You don’t need to prove rapid rise and instant yeast because they have a finer particle size which allows it to dissolve and activate faster into the dough.

Bread Flour or AP Flour?

Bread flour has more protein than AP flour. More protein equals more gluten which gives structure and body to the bread. In testing this recipe I found that bread flour makes the texture or crumb chewier, softer, and taller. Ap flour leads to a denser less airy and tall focaccia, both good options just a difference in crumb texture and appearance.

What are the ingredients to make bread?

All you really need is flour, yeast, water, and salt. Other ingredients added affect flavor and texture like sugar, eggs, milk, etc.

How can I tell if my dough has risen enough?

There are a few indicators to look for, first look for the dough to be doubled in volume. A simple way to do this is by taking a picture of the dough before. Another great way to tell if your bread has risen enough is the poke test. Poke the dough with your finger, it should spring back slowly leaving a slight indentation.

BREAD

Classic Crispy Focaccia

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes Yields: 8 servings

EQUIPMENT

• Stand Mixer with dough hook attachment

• half sheet pan 18 x13 inch

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• 6 cups bread flour

• 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• 1 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil

NOTES

Don’t be alarmed with the very wet dough, the moisture creates a open crumb that we want.

Serve Focaccia with soups, eat on its own, or slice in half and make sandwiches.

*This recipe was adapted from two great recipes Linguian Focaccia by Samin Nosrat and Claire Saffitz Soft and Crispy Focaccia. I ended up creating somewhat of a combo of these making a tall, soft, and airy texture that is also salty and super crispy.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1:

Start by adding the entire packet of yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer with the honey and 3 cups of lukewarm water. Using a whisk dissolve the granules and let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2:

Next, add 6 cups of flour and salt to the mixing bowl with the yeast mixture. With the dough hook attachment on, mix on low speed for a minute until the flour is hydrated and starts to come together. Then increase the speed to medium-high for about 5 minutes. Do this until the dough holds more shape, and then let rest for 15 minutes. This resting period for the dough helps the flour fully hydrate, gluten bonds to begin developing and makes the dough stretchier, more easily expanding to create a open crumb structure. Then turn the mixer back on again for about 10 minutes on medium-high. You will know the dough is ready when the surface is smooth, very elastic, and doesn’t easily break when stretched. The dough will no longer stick to the sides of the bowl and begin pulling away.

Step 3:

In a large bowl add 1/2 cup of olive oil. Swirl around to coat the entire bowl. Scrap the dough into the bowl and cover with a towel letting sit until doubled in volume. It helps to place it in a warm area to speed up the fermenting process. Depending on the temperature of the room this could take anywhere from 1-2 hours.

Step 4:

Next is making folds or stretches to the dough. This is a technique used in artisan breadmaking to help develop more gluten and degas the dough formed in the first rise. With the bowl in front of you scoop both your hands underneath the dough and lift up stretching the dough then place back down. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat twice more.

Step 5:

Coat a 18x13 inch pan with 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Scrape the dough onto the pan and gently stretch to fit the pan as much as you can before it shrinks back. Let sit for 5 minutes and continue stretching until the dough fits the entire pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for the final time about 45 minutes. The dough should be more bubbly and have risen closer to the top of the pan.

Step 6:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the plastic wrap off the dough and using your fingers in a claw-like shape, dimple the dough. Press your fingers all the way down to the bottom of the pan, repeating all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil.

*If you don’t want to add any toppings then you can bake it at this stage. Any topping should be added after the dough has been dimpled.

TOPPING INSTRUCTIONS

Rosemary and Garlic: mix the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl with 3 cloves of thinly sliced garlic and 3 tablespoons of chopped Rosemary. Drizzle mixture evenly over the Focaccia.

Cherry Tomato, Onion, Parmesan: Press small cherry tomatoes all the way to the bottom of the dough, nestling into the dimples. Thinly slice 1/4 of a medium red onion and place evenly over the dough. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over the Focaccia and sprinkle on 1/4 cup grated parmesan.

Step 7:

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top and bottom are golden brown. Take out of the oven and let cool 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temp. Store wrapped in parchment paper in a plastic bag to maintain texture and freshness. Usually, lasts about 1 week.

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