Tom Budde's Focaccia

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Mix the dough: In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, and honey to dissolve, then add the oil. In a very large bowl, whisk flour and salt together to combine and then add yeast mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated, then scrape the sides of the bowl clean and cover.

Step 2

Autolysis: let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Watch this video from the 6:00 mark to 8:30 mark to see a demonstration of the kneading technique.

Step 3

Kneading: Use a hand sprayer to moisten the top of the dough and the counter/work surface. Turn the dough out, wet side down. Lightly pinch a corner of the dough, give it a tug away from the dough and fold it back on the dough about 2/3s of the way across the dough ball. Repeat this action 5-10 times to get a nice tight ball of dough. Place the dough back in the bowl. Repeat this process about every hour for 5-6 hours and the dough is at least doubled, airy and jiggly.

Step 4

Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons oil evenly onto a 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. When dough is ready, use a spatula or your hand to release it from the sides of the bowl and pour out onto pan. Gently stretch the dough to the edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward. The dough will shrink a bit, so repeat stretching once or twice over the course of 30 minutes to ensure dough remains stretched.

Step 5

Dimple the dough by pressing the pads of your first four fingers in at an angle. Make the brine by stirring together salt and water and oil until salt is dissolved. Pour the brine over the dough to fill dimples. Proof focaccia for 45 minutes until the dough is light and bubbly.

Step 6

Thirty minutes into this final proof, adjust rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F. If you have a baking stone, place it on rack. Otherwise, as an option, invert another sturdy baking sheet and place on rack. Allow to preheat with the oven until very hot, before proceeding with baking.

Step 7

Sprinkle focaccia with flaky or coarse salt. Bake in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes directly on top of stone or inverted pan until top crust is crisp and dark golden brown.

Step 8

Remove from oven and brush any excess pools oil over the whole surface. Let cool for 5 minutes, then release focaccia from pan with metal spatula and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.