Focaccia – The Gateway bread

I have found making Focaccia bread to be the simplest way to get started in bread and pizza baking. Due to the use of either dry or active dry yeast and the short rise time, it is the quickest and simplest form of bread baking. From start to finish you can have focaccia mixed, proofed, and baked in a few hours. However, don’t mistake quick proof time for a lack of flavor. A warm Focaccia bread can be a great starter, side, or even used for Panino (sandwiches). I love to pair fresh rosemary focaccia with freshly made roasted red peppers (which I will provide a recipe for in a future post).

The history of Focaccia dates to about the second century B.C. It seems that just about every group of people from the Greeks to the Phoenicians made some variation of focaccia using different grains like millet, barley, and rye. When we talk about Focaccia today it seems to be a type most highly influenced from Italy and Greece from the ancient Greeks and in central Italy, the Etruscans, who were the Italian people before the unification of the Roman empire.

Originally Focaccia was cooked on the hearth of a fire, cooked on heated tiles, or even on earthenware disks. This is almost universal to flatbreads which are an even older preparation. Today, Focaccia is cooked in a pan called a lama (blade) in Italian. I like to use a cooking sheet with some sort of low sides. The most important distinction between focaccia and the earlier and ubiquitous flatbreads is that most flatbreads are not leavened, unlike focaccia. When rolling out and setting the bread dough into the pan the dough was almost always pushed down on the top with fingers, baking utensils, or with a paddle or wooden stamp with carved designs. This helped the bubbles that would rise during baking from becoming too large. Another ingredient that seems to have stood the test of time is a generous portion of olive oil over the top of the dough before baking.

The bread seems to have had a resurgence and come back into its own around the 13th century in Genova. It would be eaten by sailors or workers around the ports as a quick breakfast. Once again, sailors and goods bring with them food to different lands. It would travel to France and become a dish sometimes called Fougasse. In the 15th century, it was quite common in churches, especially for weddings. The thickness of the focaccia varies greatly depending on the region it comes from as well. While growing up on the east coast of the US, the Focaccia we always found in specialty stores or bakeries was very thick; sometimes up to 2 inches. The version I like to prepare is half that height and I would probably not advise cutting it in half to make a panino as I would with the thicker fluffier versions.

Basic focaccia Recipe

• Pre-heat oven to 425f or 220c
• Ingredients:
• 5 cups (700 grams) AP flour
• 2 cups (417 grams) warm water
• 2tsp (7 grams) active dry yeast
• 1tsp (7 grams) iodized salt
• 2 Tbl (23 grams) Olive Oil
• Sea salt

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup of warm water. Add a touch of sugar to boost the start of fermentation. Let it sit for roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure there is bubbling and some signs of the yeast coming to life. If you do not see any activity after 10 minutes throw away and start again.

2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer add the flour, salt, yeast water mixture, and additional water. Knead or mix in a bowl until it comes together and comes away from the sides of the bowl. If you are having trouble getting the dough to come together. Gradually add a few tablespoons of flour at a time. Being sure to fully incorporate before adding more flour until the dough comes together. Alternatively, if you have been working the dough and there is not enough liquid you can do the same with some room temperature water. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes slick. The dough should be worked to a point where it has come to a ball and is almost shiny. You should work with enough oil that it does not stick to your hands or the work surface. Place your dough into an oiled bowl and cover. Let stand for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size. Punch down in the bowl and then take out and flatten onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Let the dough rise on the baking sheet for another 20-30 minutes. Dimple the top with your fingers and drizzle olive oil and sea salt. One variation that I like is to add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary and/or grated parmesan.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Once removed, I like to transfer to a cutting board to cool. Once the bread is cool enough to handle you can slice and serve.