Garlic Rosemary Focaccia

The recipe for Focaccia should be considered a baseline. Only stick to the amounts of predough and sourdough in the recipe! It’s up to each person to pick which flour they want to use, since the water content in the main dough is added in two rounds, as in the previous recipes. The first addition of liquid serves to separate the dough from the side of the mixing bowl. Only after that will you increase the amount of water according to your judgement to correspond to the type of flour you are using.  

This recipe is therefore the perfect way to use up flour remains from the reserves in your cupboard. The dough can and must be allowed to widen, and it’s precisely this aspect that some hobby bakers really enjoy!

I also came up with an idea for the bread’s visual appearance! Take a little rye sourdough out of its storage glass, thin this with a little water and then refine it with Mediterranean herbs. Mixed well and spread thinly over the bread, it turns it into the perfect loaf for parties.

Recipe

For a dough weight of 1275g / 5-6 pieces of longish focaccia

Poolish:

  • 200g wheat flour type 700
  • 200g water (cold)
  •       1g yeast

Mix all the ingredients and let it rise at room temperature for 12-15 hours. If the Poolish rises too quickly, it can be kept in the fridge at 4°C until you need to work with it. 

Lievito Madre (Italian sourdough):

  • 200g wheat flour type 700
  • 100g water 20°C
  •    10g starter from wheat sourdough

Mix all ingredients and let them rise at room temperature for 12-15 hours. 

Main dough:

  • 401g mature Poolish
  • 310g mature LM
  • 300g brown flour
  • 170g water

Mix everything thoroughly and let it sit for 25 minutes to autolyze. 

  •      14g salt (2%)
  •              yeast (if you want to, you can mix in a small bit of yeast)
  •      80g water (only pour in this water once the dough has completely pulled away from the side of the mixing bowl! Water amount can be increased or decreased as desired).

Instructions:

  • As soon as the dough, with the rest of the water added in, completely and cleanly falls away from the side of the mixing bowl, place it in a dough tub that has been coated in olive oil. 
  • Fold the dough after 60 and 120 minutes (if you have added yeast, then you should fold it after 45 and 90 minutes)
  • After the second folding, the dough needs to double in volume before you work with it any further (this should take around 90-120 minutes).
  • Tip the dough onto a very well floured work surface and carefully form it into a flat, square shape. The nicer you shape the dough, the more uniform the separated long loaves will be. 
  • Divide the dough as desired into multiple pieces and set them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Then use a dough scraper to help you to tuck the side edges of each dough piece underneath itself, so that you end up with nicely formed long loaves.
  • Let rest for 30 minutes.
  • Whoever wants to can top the dough with a thin layer of aromatics (rye sourdough, water, pressed garlic, Mediterranean herbs and a small pinch of salt).
  • Finally, top the dough with a small rosemary twig that has been soaked in oil before putting the loaves in the oven.
  • Bake the focaccia with steam at 250°C.
  • After 10 minutes reduce the temperature to 235°C and bake until the crust is well brown.

INFO: After folding the dough, you can leave it overnight in the fridge. The next day, take it out of the fridge 90 before you want to work with it to let the dough acclimatize. Then continue with the steps as listed.