Overnight Focaccia
This bubbly overnight focaccia is salty, fluffy, and will become your go-to bread.
Equipment
- 1 9x13 pan
Ingredients
For the dough
- 480 grams King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
- 390 grams warm water
- 14 grams honey
- 14 grams kosher salt
- 2 grams active dry yeast
- 40 grams extra virgin olive oil
For the brine
- 3 tbs warm water
- 1 teaspoon iodized salt
For the topping
- 1 tbs water
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 rosemary sprigs chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated
Instructions
- Add the honey and yeast to the warm water. Mix to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the water mixture and the olive oil. Use a spatula to stir to combine until all of the dry bits are mixed in. It will create a wet blob. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel for 5 minutes.
- When the 5 minutes are up, uncover, wet your hand, and stretch and fold the dough 4-5 times. To do this, pull a section of the dough out and then stretch and fold it over like you're wrapping a gift. Rotate the bowl and repeat 4-5 times. Cover back up with the plastic wrap and towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Once the 15 minutes are up, repeat the same stretch and fold process. The dough should be more elastic by this round. Once you've stretched and folded, flip the dough over so that the smooth part is on top. Drizzle some more olive oil on top, using your hand to make sure the entire dough ball is covered in the olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and the towel and leave in the fridge for 12-18 hours.
- The next day, pour a few tbs of olive oil into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Remove the dough from the fridge, it should have risen and developed some air bubbles. Pour the dough out onto the baking pan making sure the smooth part is on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place (like the oven with a light on) for 2-4 hours, or until the dough has expanded to 90% fill out the pan. (Check after 2 hours to make sure it isn't overproofing.)
- Make the brine by combining the warm water and the salt. Mix until the salt is dissolved.
- Uncover the dough. If it hasn't fully filled out the pan, you can stretch the corners a bit. Then, dimple the dough by pressing your fingers into it, making sure to touch firm enough that you're hitting the bottom of the pan, but not enough to rip it. Once dimpled, pour the brine all over the dough. Cover again and let proof one last time for 45 minutes. At this time, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (You'll lower it for the actual bake. this is just to help ensure the top gets golden.)
- Mix together everything for the topping and set aside.
- Once the 45 minute proof is up, uncover the dough, pour the topping over the bread, and add a touch more olive oil, and a grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano if you'd like.
- Lower the oven to 425 and add the focaccia. Bake for ~30 minutes, or until golden on top and the inside reaches atleast 200 degrees F. In the final 15 minutes, move the focaccia to the bottom rack to ensure the bottom crisps up (extra credit if you keep a pizza stone on the bottom at all times and let it cook on top of that!).
- Remove from the oven and let sit in the tray for 7 minutes, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.