Description
This Same Day No Mixer Focaccia Bread is not only a testament to the simplicity of Italian cuisine but also a gateway for home bakers to dive into the world of bread making without the intimidation of complex recipes or the need for specialized equipment. The high hydration of the dough ensures a moist interior crumb with large air pockets, while a hot oven gives it a beautifully browned and crispy exterior.
This version of sourdough focaccia bread eliminates the need for a stand mixer, ensuring that anyone with a bowl and a spoon can achieve delicious results in just a few hours.
One thing you will have to make sure you do the day before is FEED YOUR STARTER, ensuring that you have an active and bubbly starter to utilize the day of this recipe.
I bake this recipe in a 12 inch cast iron skillet but a glass baking dish of similar size could also be used.
Ingredients
- 100g sourdough starter (fed or right out of the fridge)
- 400g flour (I used organic all purpose flour)
- 10g salt
- 15g (1 tbs) EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- 300g filtered room temperature water
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a dough whisk or a spatula, mix the ingredients together until the ingredients are fully incorporated
- Autolyse for 30 minutes. This just means cover and rest the dough allowing the flour to fully absorb the liquids and activate the gluten in the flour.
- Perform a stretch and fold every 30 minutes repeating 3 times. To perform a “stretch and fold”, stretch the dough up and gently fold it down on to itself. Do this for the top, bottom, left, and right. This completes one stretch and fold.
- Bulk Rise. Cover the dough and allow it to double. This will take about 4-6 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the activity level of your sourdough starter. If your kitchen is cold, place it in the oven with only the light on for a little extra warmth or use your oven’s “proof” function if you have it.
- Oil a 12 inch cast iron skillet with EVOO.
- Gently spread out the dough in the skillet.
- Allow the dough to double in size (1-2 hours)
- Drizzle more EVOO on top of the dough and dimple it with your fingers.
- Add the toppings of your choice
- Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- rise time: 5-7hrs
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: bread
- Method: sourdough
- Cuisine: Italian
