adapted from Claire Saffitz
Is focaccia good or is it simply impossible combine bread and oil in an unappetizing way? I think it might be the former, but I’m not complaining. If you’re looking to get into bread baking, focaccia is the way to go. It’s fairly simple and quick as far as bread making goes. It’s also pretty forgiving, and extremely versatile. Think of anything savory that you might eat with bread, chances are it will taste great as a focaccia topping. I topped ½ of my loaf with a rosemary garlic mixture and ½ with red potatoes and chives. There has also been a recent movement to create floral designs with various vegetables and herbs on top of the focaccia. If you haven’t seen them, search for them on pinterest, they’re pretty impressive and add a bit of artistic flare to this traditional bread.
Warm ½ cup water in a saucepan over low heat until warm but not hot (105°F). Stir in yeast to dissolve, and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should bubble and foam, indicating that the yeast is alive.
Add the yeast mixture and 2 ½ cups of room-temperature water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and salt then mix on low until the dough just comes together (~ 1 minute). Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough wraps around the hook (~5 minutes). Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Turn the mixer back on and mix until the dough is elastic and pulls away from the sides. It will still be sticky at this point.
Coat a large bowl with ¼ cup oil. Scrape the dough into the bowl. Dab some of the oil across the surface of the dough then let sit to rise until doubled in size, about 1 – 1 ½ hours.
Coat a standard half-sheet pan with ¼ cup oil. Oil your hands and slide them under the risen dough. Lift the dough and let it fold back in on itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees then repeat this action three more times (4 folds total). Transfer the dough to the sheet pan and stretch as far as it will go. Cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes, then return and stretch it the rest of the way too fill the entire pan. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight, or let sit for 40-55 minutes if you want to bake it right away.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven too 450 ºF. Uncover the dough and, with oiled hands, press your fingers al over the dough to “dimple” it. Air bubbles will form across the surface. Top the focaccia with ¼ cup oil or whatever topping you have chosen (see below) and sprinkle on flakey sea salt. Bake the focaccia until the corners pull away from the pan, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to the top rack and bake until golden brown, another 5 minutes or so. Let the focaccia cool then cut and eat!
Stir together the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary in a small bowl. Spoon onto the prepared focaccia.
Use a mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes into a bowl of room temperature water. Drain the potatoes, fill the bowl with warm water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Dry the potatoes, add the olive oil, chives, and remaining salt. Spoon onto prepared focaccia.