Focaccia Bread Recipe

Just out of curiousity, is there a reason you poke with a fork rather than dimpling the dough with your fingertips? That's the more traditional way.

Yeah, the fork is more of a docking procedure for managing bubbling in such doughs like for pizza, but focaccia is supposed to be bubbly. And the finger holes hold the oil, herbs and cheese better as it rises.

That was part of my thinking, Phil.

I make Focaccia Bread at work daily, this is the recipe i use:

1125g Bread Flour
40g Fresh Yeast
40g Castor Sugar
30g Salt
Approximately 1 litre of lukewarm water
Olive Oil infused with Mixed Herbs and Garlic


method:
-put the yeast and sugar into a bowl and mix in a little of the water enough to mix so that the yeast and sugar dissolves, and put the yeast mixture in a warm place to prove (for this i use an oven set at 50 deg celcius) for about 10 mins or until the yeast starts to throth up
-add the flour into an electric mixer bowl and start adding the water slowly while mixing, after about half a litre of the water has been added then add the yeast mixture and continue to mix.
-keep adding more of the water slowly until the dough becomes moist but not sticky. the aim is to make the dough soft without any stickiness, this will produce the best results.
-once the dough has the right texture then add the salt LAST and mix in well for a couple of minutes.
-place the dough in greased and floured baking trays, dust some flour on top of the dough and cover the tray well with cling film.
-prove the dough at 50deg celcius for 30 minutes.
-remove from oven and remove cling film, re-shape the dough by streaching it to line the bottom of the baking tray and flatten out by hand gently so that the dough is level in the tray
-add enough of the infused olive oil herbs and garlic just to coat the top of the dough, and prove for a further 30mins at the same temp.
-after second proving is finished turn the oven up to 180deg celcius and bake for 12 mins.

this recipe yields about 1800 grams of dough and makes 24 portions of Focaccia Bread.. .

i think should spread some flour before you Roll the dough...
or it will stick..

i often make different flavoured focaccia bread, such as topping the dough with thinly sliced onions and cheese, or chopped sundried tomatoes and basil.

i have made basil flavoured focaccia bread which was served with home made baked beans, pancetta crisps and fried quails egg ... english breakfast anyone?