Rosemary Focaccia

Aug 24th, 2008 by SteveB

Rosemary Focaccia

There’s something about focaccia that I can’t quite put my finger on. People who would normally just pass around the breadbasket at the dinner table without partaking, lunge hungrily at pieces of focaccia when included as part of the breadbasket fare. Perhaps it’s the delicious unctuousness of the surface craters filled with fragrant rosemary oil. Or maybe it’s the light, airy crumb perfectly suited to sopping up the last bit of sauce or juice at the end of a perfect meal. Either way, focaccia has become a flatbread favorite here in the U.S., perhaps second only to pizza.

The focaccia formula used here is based on a poolish pre-ferment and is a modified version of the one described in Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. The focaccia dough is extremely wet (~75% hydration) and contains a fair amount of olive oil, making focaccia dough one of the few doughs that I mix using a stand mixer. The high hydration also necessitates the use of multiple folds after mixing to properly develop the gluten.

Poolish

320 g Heartland Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour

340 g Water

1/4 tsp. Instant Yeast

Final Dough

565 g of the above Poolish

340 g Heartland Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour

170 g Water

15 g Salt

1 1/2 tsp. Instant Yeast

85 g Olive Oil

Fresh, coarsely chopped Rosemary and Olive Oil, as needed

Kosher Salt, to taste

Prepare the poolish the night before baking by stirring together the flour, yeast and water until the ingredients in the bowl are well incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until the poolish becomes bubbly, about 3 hours. Immediately place the bowl in the refrigerator and let the poolish ferment there overnight.

The next morning, remove the poolish from the refrigerator and let warm to room temperature for 1 hour. Add the water and poolish to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture is homogeneous. With the whisk still going, add the olive oil and continue mixing until the oil is incorporated. Switch to the paddle attachment, add the flour, yeast and salt, and mix on low speed until all the flour is hydrated, about 2-3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until low to medium gluten development is achieved, about 5 minutes.

Scrape the extremely fluid dough into an oiled container and let rest for 5 minutes. Fold the dough, using wet hands to prevent sticking, as shown below:

Let the dough ferment for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature, repeating the dough folding at 30 and 60 minutes. After this first fermentation period, the dough is transferred to an oiled baking sheet and olive oil is brushed onto the surface of the dough. Using fingertips, the dough is then gently eased to the edges of the baking sheet, trying to maintain an even thickness throughout. If the dough becomes too elastic during this step, let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then resume. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with fresh, coarsely chopped rosemary, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and let ferment a second time for 1 1/2 hours. After this time, sprinkle additional olive oil over the surface of the dough, dimple the surface with fingertips, and sprinkle the surface with kosher salt, to taste.

Dimpling Surface of Focaccia

The focaccia is baked in a pre-heated, 450°F oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pan 180° after the first 10 minutes to ensure even baking. The pan is removed from the oven and the focaccia is removed immediately from the pan and allowed to cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting into slices.

Cooling Focaccia

Tags: focaccia, folding, high hydration, rosemary

Posted in Rich Doughs, Techniques

44 Responses to “Rosemary Focaccia”

on 28 Aug 2008 at 2:25 pm1Jane

I admit that I have never, ever made focaccia before because I have never thought it looked that great. OK, is that a cultural thing? But your description sounds very nice and I may just have to try it. Your video was great as usual, though since you continue to be so silent, I couldn’t help laugh at all the other sound, water splashing and gloopy dough.
I’ll let you know what I think when I make it, promise!
Jane
on 28 Aug 2008 at 3:42 pm2SteveB

Jane, what a wonderful comment! I’m glad that I was able to bring some laughter to your kitchen. It’s nice to know that my videos can be both informative and amusing! Perhaps I have a career in silent films (or did I miss that boat?)
I look forward to hearing of your first experience with focaccia.
on 31 Aug 2008 at 4:17 pm3Claire

Gorgeous light and airy crumb. Alas, I don’t have the space (or money!) in my apartment to get a stand mixer yet. I might just have to deal with the mess and do this recipe by hand. Those slices look like they were simply meant to be dipped in olive oil.
Thanks for a beautiful and informative post.
on 31 Aug 2008 at 5:20 pm4SteveB

Claire, if you do attempt the entire focaccia recipe by hand, I would suggest trying the double hydration technique described in the post on ciabatta. This will allow you to more easily develop the gluten before the dough becomes very wet.
on 04 Sep 2008 at 4:34 pm5Lena

What is the temperature of water for the poolish and the final dough, respectively? Thanks.
on 04 Sep 2008 at 8:02 pm6SteveB

Lena,
Please see my response under the “Ciabatta using Double Hydration” comments.
on 27 Nov 2008 at 7:15 pm7jenny

Thanks for the recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was great. My husband especially loved it since I over did the salt on it.
on 27 Nov 2008 at 7:58 pm8SteveB

Jenny, I’m glad the focaccia was a hit with your family this Thanksgiving. Take a look at the post on cherry pecan bread for another idea for the holiday table.
on 09 Jan 2009 at 5:19 pm9Chris

WooHooo.
I challenge everybody to make this. I am sure many people read this and think it too daunting, or time consuming; but this is a brilliant recipe and the technique is easy.
I have had a love affair with bread making for decades, and this site is better than ‘any’ book I have in my possession ( and some of them are advertised on these pages) for both recipies and technique.
Thank you so much Steve for sharing your passion.

Chris
on 10 Jan 2009 at 7:54 am10SteveB

Chris, your comments are very much appreciated. From the outset, I’ve envisioned this blog as a kind of bread baking “e-book”, where the techniques and recipes would be accessible to everyone, all for the price of an Internet connection.
on 19 Jan 2009 at 11:22 am11Eric

Wow Steve, your Focaccia looks perfect! Another very well done and informative presentation. Do you get a crunchy or crispy crust with this?

I think I will put this on my to do list for this week for Italian night. Thanks for getting my mouth watering :>)
Eric
on 19 Jan 2009 at 12:19 pm12SteveB

Thanks, Eric. Focaccia is one of the few bread where I actually prefer a soft crust. The surface coating of olive oil keeps the crust soft and fills the surface indentations with little pools of rosemary-infused oil. Now you’ve got me wanting to bake some more!
on 26 Jan 2009 at 9:27 am13Eric

Have you seen or tried the process where you mix a little water with the top oil as well as you can whisk it together? Pour it on the surface as normal. I read that somewhere but haven’t tried it.
Eric
on 26 Jan 2009 at 9:48 am14SteveB

Eric, I’ve never heard of using an oil/water suspension to coat the surface of focaccia. What would one be trying to accomplish by doing so?
on 27 Jan 2009 at 12:04 am15Eric

Steve, I think the idea was to give it a little crunch but if I recall it was an Italian recipe. I’m going to try it next time I make focaccia. You are so well read on the subject I thought I would ask.
Eric
on 27 Jan 2009 at 8:48 pm16Eric

Steve,
I found the reference I mentioned. It sounds like it would be a good recipe otherwise. Might be worth trying. See item #9.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/6039/authentic-focaccia-recipe#comment-37548
on 28 Jan 2009 at 7:17 am17SteveB

Eric, thanks for the link.
on 03 Feb 2009 at 10:49 am18Syd

Steve, what is the reasoning behind putting the poolish into the fridge after three hours? Would it be okay just to leave it out on the counter in the kitchen?
on 03 Feb 2009 at 12:13 pm19SteveB

Syd, the poolish is put in the refigerator to prevent it from becoming overly mature. When this happens, the gluten starts to degrade and off-flavors begin to develop. If you want to leave it at room temperature overnight, I would suggest cutting the amount of yeast in the poolish, perhaps in half.
on 16 Apr 2009 at 11:09 am20emilie

Hi! I tried the ciabatta and it was a great success! Following your methods have made bread making a lot easier and tastes a whole lot better. The double hydration method and the folding technique are ingenius. I also tried this focaccia recipe, the crumb was good but the crust was really hard and thick. Any ideas what went wrong? Also, do you have any ideas of how to keep bread crust from getting soft? Its really humid here and bread crust starts getting soft in a few hours.
on 16 Apr 2009 at 10:02 pm21SteveB

emilie, if you are getting a thick, hard crust, I would try baking for a shorter period of time, at a slightly higher temperature if necessary. I’m afraid it’s difficult to maintain a crisp crust under humid conditions. I actually prefer my focaccia with a soft crust.
on 17 Apr 2009 at 12:45 am22emilie

SteveB, I agree with you on the soft crust on a foccacia. But for other things such as baguettes and ciabatta…its the thin crispy crust that is the most sought after. Nothing sounds better than when you tear into the loaf and you hear the crust crunching. Its ok after toasting it, but not the same
on 21 Apr 2009 at 12:56 pm23Jim

Is there a reason for only using only 565 grams of the poolish, when you make up at least 660 grams (I didn’t want to weigh out the 1/4 tsp of yeast to come up with the exact total)?
on 21 Apr 2009 at 3:36 pm24SteveB

Jim, the reason I made up 660 g of poolish has more to do with measuring out the yeast than anything else. If I wanted to make up exactly 565 g of poolish, I would need somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 tsp. of yeast, a quantity difficult for me to measure out with any degree of accuracy given the tools at my disposal. For expediency sake, I just prepared a bit more poolish than was needed.
on 20 Sep 2009 at 6:48 am25Macfield

Awesome focaccia!!!!!! but i am just wondering the function of the poolish, is it give the different result if i mix the bread without poolish…..
Thank so much!
on 21 Sep 2009 at 12:07 pm26SteveB

Macfield, the poolish contributes to both the flavor and texture of the focaccia. You could bake a focaccia without a poolish, but it would be a different bread than the one posted here.
on 01 Nov 2009 at 1:10 am27Helen

Yum Yum Yum, i made this and it was great, great instructions and great eating. I love the feel of the dough when you are folding it, you can feel the air pockets……. I Shared it at a local kids centre, went down very well there too!! Thanks for sharing the recipe:0)
on 10 Nov 2009 at 6:44 pm28Bina

Hi Steve,

I notice you use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour as I have seen in many other recipes. Is there a reason for this? Also I assume the flour is unbleached? THis looks like a great recipe.
on 10 Nov 2009 at 9:36 pm29SteveB

Hi Bina,
Since there are no established standards for ‘all-purpose flour’ or ‘bread flour’, these terms really have little meaning. I tend to choose the flour I’ll be using for a particular recipe based upon its protein content. Heartland Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour, the unbleached flour I used for this recipe, has a protein content of around 11.2%. This will produce a focaccia with soft, tender crumb.
on 05 Apr 2010 at 9:38 am30Khush

hi,
Once again a mouth watering recipe. As much as i would like to try it….. i am worried about the high temperature here in Ahmedabad where i stay. The day time temperature is around 34° C indoors!! do you think one can use the same stand time for the poolish & fermentation??
on 05 Apr 2010 at 4:53 pm31SteveB

Khush, temperature and the amount of yeast used both have a role in determining how long it takes for a poolish or dough to reach maturity. With the elevated temperatures you experience there in Ahmedabad, try slightly decreasing the amount of yeast in your poolish in order to maintain the resting times specified. Adding a small amount of salt to the poolish will also moderate its activity.
on 06 Apr 2010 at 7:38 pm32Casey

Just made this, didn’t have time to rest for the whole second 1 1/2 hours but still tastes awesome! Great recipe going to try your ciabatta tomorrow
on 22 Apr 2010 at 5:57 pm33wayne Taigel

Hi Steve,
I have been searching for focaccia recipes for a while now I am after a soft crumb but crisp crust this one might just do it I will try tonight.
I want to use focaccia in a commercial venture where I offer focaccia and bagel sandwiches in a sub way style from a trailer I am concerned that the dough after the folding would not handle a road trip with out delating.
I was wondering if I divided the dough to portions after the folding / rest period and out them into my small trays and refrigerated overnight for the journey how much the product will change in texure and taste, obviously the bench time increases to bring it up to room temp for the final proof before baking. What are your thoughts and recommendations please.
on 22 Apr 2010 at 6:03 pm34wayne Taigel

Steve in addition to my previuos question I also want to know if when I put the dough on the bench after the refrigeration if I can do the final proof in a prover
on 22 Apr 2010 at 7:20 pm35SteveB

Hi Wayne,
I wish I could help you but I am a home baker with no commercial baking experience. Perhaps a baking facility that instructs professional bakers, such as the San Francisco Baking Institute or the King Arthur Flour Education Center may be able to help.
on 01 May 2010 at 10:44 pm36Focaccia « i want seconds.

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on 11 May 2010 at 11:05 pm37Lindsay

Hello,
I’m very excited to make this recipe but I’m working without a scale. Can anyone tell me how many cups is 565 g of the poolish?
Thanks
on 12 May 2010 at 9:06 pm38SteveB

Hi Lindsay,
I’m sorry but since the density of a poolish is variable from batch to batch (and also dependent upon how much it has been deflated or stirred down), there really is no way to make an accurate conversion from weight to volume. At the risk of sounding presumptuous, may I suggest that an investment in an inexpensive kitchen scale might be in order?
on 13 May 2010 at 12:07 am39Lindsay

Thanks for the reply,
Yes, I would like to buy a scale but I’m currently living in the south of China and it’s very difficult to buy any baking equipment and ingredients for that matter. I just realized that my baking powder is in fact cornstarch!
I just took my poolish out of the fridge. I figure I’ll just toss a bit of it, go on with the recipe and hope for the best!
on 05 Jun 2010 at 1:00 am40Tom

Steve,

Oh my oh my is this ever good. (That would be both the recipe and the bread by the way.) I love how it is shaped with fingertips, and rises without steam. The taste is awesome I waited exactly 20 minutes before cutting a few inches off one end … warm focaccia yum!

Thank you very much for sharing this one.

Tom
on 05 Jun 2010 at 7:21 am41SteveB

Hi Tom,
I glad you’re enjoying the focaccia. I hope that Dennis gave it his signature “two thumbs up” in approval! :>)
on 06 Jun 2010 at 2:11 am42Tom

Steve,

Yep Dennis approved them. In fact he helped me make a garlic/basil version today, his fingers are a much better size for massaging the dough prior to baking. The bread is cooling right now …

One question for you. I had a very hard time removing the bread from the pan both times. I thought it was due to not oiling it enough the first time so this second time I put on copious amounts of olive oil on the pan, if anything it appeared to stick even more. Do you have any suggestions for my next attempt?

Thanks again,

Tom
on 06 Jun 2010 at 8:35 pm43SteveB

Tom,
It’s best to remove the focaccia from its pan right as it comes out of the oven. If the focaccia is allowed to cool before it is removed from the pan, it can have a tendency to stick.
on 31 Aug 2010 at 11:05 am44Jorgen

My dough looked a bit thinner as in the movie but the result is delicious.