Instructions

For the cooking instructions, I'll start with the steps and ingredients considered "best," and then I'll share what I usually do.

For the dough (focaccia for 4 people):

• 650 g strong flour (high protein content)
• 450 g water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 13 g coarse salt
• 7 g dry yeast

Additional ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Sprig of fresh rosemary
• 50 g Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp flaky crystal salt

In a deep bowl, mix all ingredients for the dough. Knead and let it rest. Every hour, with oiled fingers, pull the edges of the dough up as much as possible and, as they drop, place them in the center of the bowl — repeat this three times. This type of kneading allows the dough to rise again and build a new, stronger internal structure.

At a room temperature of about 22°C, the dough should have risen to its maximum capacity within 4 hours. Another approach is to let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours immediately after kneading – this results in a more pronounced flavor.

For shaping, remove the dough from the bowl, spread it on the counter, and fold it like a letter – fold all four sides towards the center, so you get a small rectangle (20 × 10 cm). Preheat the oven to 230°C.

Grease a small non-stick baking pan generously with olive oil (2 tbsp). Place the dough in the pan with the folded side down, cover with cling film, and let it relax for about 1 hour (until the oven is thoroughly heated).

Shape the relaxed dough by pressing down with fingers pointing straight down to create dimples. Press until the dough fills the pan. Large air bubbles can be deflated if desired.

Drizzle the dough with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with chopped rosemary sprigs and a generous amount of coarse salt. Bake at 230°C for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown. Immediately remove the focaccia from the pan and place it on a wire rack to rest. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil from the pan and brush it on. Finally, sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Focaccia can be eaten warm after 10–15 minutes or cold. Serve with a small bowl of olive oil with a few drops of balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Focaccia bread – quick and easy

Despite the pleasure of carefully prepared focaccia, I prefer to prioritize ease of preparation over appearance. I knead dough once a week and store it in the refrigerator for slow fermentation. For this purpose, I use an oiled 4.5-liter container (which holds up to 1.8 kg of dough for rising), write the preparation date on the lid, and try to use it within 4 days.

Some day of the week, I might decide to bake bread, pizzas, or grilled flatbreads. In such a case, I take out an appropriate amount of dough and shape it according to the baked good. But if after 5–6 days I have leftover dough, I know that it will no longer rise with the same strength as before. In such a case, I resort to baking focaccia to use it up – regardless of the type of dough (with yeast or sourdough) or its hydration.

My idea is that we don't need to worry about how much the dough has risen. We can assume that the focaccia will rise a lot – or it might not rise at all. It might not be attractive in appearance, but it will be delicious.

I make my favorite focaccia in a small pan to make it relatively tall. On top, I sprinkle hand-crushed tomatoes (with their juice and seeds), trying to remove as much of the skin as possible. I drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano and coarse salt. When I want to make an effort "for guests," I decorate with onion slices, chopped olives, whole rosemary sprigs, and pieces of bell pepper. To enrich the taste, I use flavored olive oil.

In my opinion, focaccia should include fat both in the dough and in the pan, and be seasoned on top with coarse crystal salt. Additional ingredients are optional. I urge you to bake focaccia with your preferred dough – and season it to your taste, savory or sweet.

Enjoy your meal!