Name: Basic Foccacia
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500g strong bread flour; 7g instant dried yeast; 350ml warm water; 10g salt; 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for the tray); Flaky sea salt; Fresh rosemary (optional)

Recipes

Basic Foccacia

By littlelane

A pillowy, dimpled Italian flatbread with a crispy exterior, generously drenched in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. This base recipe is your starting point customise with rosemary, olives, cherry tomatoes, or caramelised onions. The key is using plenty of good EVOO both in the dough and on top, and giving the dough enough time to develop flavour.

LL

Written by

littlelane

Ingredients list:

500g bread flour
420ml water
3g yeast
7g honey
15g evoo
10g fine salt

Directions:

Difficulty: Easy
Feeds: 6-8 people
Cooking time: 1.5 hrs active time, rest overnight

Prepare the Honey Mixture: Mix honey with water and set aside.
Combine Ingredients: In a deep bowl, add bread flour, yeast, honey mixture, and EVOO.
Form the Dough: Start kneading until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough comes together, add salt and mix to incorporate. (Note: The dough will be very sticky and difficult to work with at this stage.)
Rest & Stretch: Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. After resting, perform the 1st set of stretch and folds—pull the dough from the edges and fold it onto itself, covering all sides. Let rest for another 10 minutes.
Repeat Stretch & Fold: Repeat the stretch-and-fold process 2 more times (total of 3), with 10-minute rests in between. Once completed, coat the dough with EVOO, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the Baking Tray: The next day, generously oil a baking tray with EVOO. Place the dough into the tray.
Fold & Shape: Mentally divide the dough into thirds. Fold the top third and bottom third into the middle, then flip the dough so the smooth side is facing up. Gently shape it to fit the tray.
Final Rise: Let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours.
Dimple & Season: After 2 hours, drizzle a generous amount of EVOO over the dough. Use your fingers to create dimples, then sprinkle flaky salt on top.
Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.
Rest & Serve: Let the focaccia rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!