Focaccia

Ingredients

• 300g flour
• 3.5g / 1 packet instant yeast
• 4.5g / 1 tsp salt
• 280g very warm water

Method

1. Mix flour, yeast, salt and warm water until combined

   Put the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl, mix to combine with a rubber spatula. Make a well in the centre, pour the warm water in then mix until you no longer see flour. It should be like a thick muffin batter – way too sticky and loose to knead.

2. First rise: 2 hours at room temperature or 24-48 hours in fridge

   Cover with cling wrap then put in a very warm place to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in volume. Or do rise in the fridge for 24 – 48 hrs.

3. Prepare and line pan with greased baking paper

   Use a square pan roughly 20-25cm and at least 5cm deep. Lightly grease with butter (not oil). Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper, un-scrunch then press into the pan, ensuring you have overhang to lift the focaccia out later.

4. Oil the pan and spread dough into corners

   Drizzle and spread 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan on the paper. Pour the dough batter in, then use 2 rubber spatulas to coax the dough out into the corners as best you can. Don't get too hung up on this, it will fill the pan as it rises.

5. Second rise: 45 minutes covered

   Cover with a cutting board then put in a very warm place for 45 minutes or until it rises by 50 – 70%. You should see some nice big bubbling on the surface. Make sure there's enough space for the dough to rise. Halfway through, preheat oven.

6. Preheat oven to 220°C and oil the dough surface

   Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced) with the oven rack in the middle. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil across the surface. Rub a little oil on your fingertips then use your fingers to spread the oil lightly across the surface.

7. Lightly dimple the surface with fingertips

   Use your fingers to lightly press dimples into the surface of the dough. Only press down about 1cm/0.4" into the dough, not all the way down like traditional focaccia else you will deflate the dough.

8. Add salt flakes and bake 25 minutes at 220°C

   Sprinkle salt flakes all over the surface. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan at the 15 minute mark, until the surface is deep golden.

9. Remove from pan and cool 10 minutes before serving

   Lift the focaccia out of the pan using the excess paper onto a cooling rack. Slide the paper out from underneath. Cool for 10 minutes then attack! Always best served warm.