Focaccia Bread !!

In Liguria, the coastal region in northwest Italy where focaccia originated, the bread has evolved from simple peasant food—just dough topped with whatever ingredients are handy—into an art form with many variations. It can be a savory snack or an entire meal. It can be round or rectangular; thin or thick. It can even be sweet. What unites the variations is great dough. Master that and you’re free to be as creative as you like with toppings, bearing in mind the principle that sometimes less is more.

This focaccia recipe uses a cold fermentation technique. In other words, the dough sits in the refrigerator overnight. The cold dramatically slows yeast activity, allowing enzymes in the flour to coax more flavor from the flour’s complex starch molecules. This simple tactic alone will take you far. But another trick will take you even farther: making a wet, sticky dough. A wet dough creates a crust with large, irregular holes that soak up the wonderful flavors of the olive oil.

The possibilities for topping focaccia are almost endless. Choose what sounds good to you, knowing that toppings fall into three general categories.

I have used :

Fresh organic cherry tomatoes, sliced or chopped

• Fresh herbs

• Roasted garlic

• Pitted olives

  Fresh dill leaves 

Ingredients:-

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons kosher  salt

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

• 2 cups lukewarm water 

• Butter  for greasing

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• Pink Himalayan Salt

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 450 degrees F.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.

• Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours.

• Line two 9 inch pans. our a tablespoon of oil into the center of each pan. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Use the forks to split the dough into two equal pieces. Place one piece into one of the prepared pans. Roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Repeat with the remaining piece. Let the dough balls rest for 2 to 3 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

• Set a rack in the middle of the oven and pour another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. Rub your hands lightly in the oil to coat, then, using all of your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan.  Add your choice of vegetables on it I have added Dill leaves, olives, olive oil roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, thyme and sprinkle with flaky sea salt all over.

• Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the focaccia to cooling racks. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

I would love to hear from you at any time. If you have tried any of my recipes, give your feedback in the comment section below. If you like this recipe, share it with your friends. Do subscribe to my blog. Thank you 😊