Focaccia

Ingredients

Dough

• 420 g. of flour
• 300mL of warm water (49 degrees)
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 5 gloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast

Toppings

• Mozzarella
• Fresh basil leaves
• Cherry tomatoes

Recipe

• Combine the flour, salt, yeast, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and water in a large bowl. Once combined, use your hands to squeeze the dough together until all of the flour is hydrated.
• Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.
• Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a small bowl, and add the minced garlic to prepare the marinade.
• When the dough has risen, pour 2 tablespoons of the garlic olive oil into the bottom of a baking dish and spread around. It does not have to go all the way to the edges, but you don't want a pool of it in the middle. Pour the risen dough out into the oiled dish, then flip it over so the coated side is facing up. Use your fingers to gently stretch the dough until it mostly fills the dish.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap or foil and allow to rise for 2 hours.
• When the dough has finished its second rise, preheat the oven to 230ºC. Use your fingertips to stretch the dough again, pressing your fingertips all the way down through the dough to the bottom of the dish. The dough should easily stretch to the edges now.
• Drizzle the last remaining Tablespoon of garlic olive oil onto the top of the dough, then scatter evenly with the chopped basil. Place the mozzarella pieces and halved tomatoes spaced out evenly onto the top of the dough, then use your fingertips to press the toppings into the dough. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.
• Bake the focaccia for 25-30 minutes or until desired level of golden brown.

Comments

• Great recipe, needs a lot of waiting time though.

• • • • (4 stars)