Overnight Focaccia

Ingredients

  • 500 g bread flour  
  • 420 ml warm water (about 38–43 °C / 100–110 °F – comfortably warm to the touch, not hot)  
  • 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil  
  • 4 g instant yeast  
  • 5 g honey  
  • 10 g salt  
  • Extra olive oil for greasing and finishing  
  • Toppings of choice (examples: sliced garlic, grated cheese, cherry tomatoes, fresh rosemary, crumbled feta, olives, etc.)  
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling  

Method: 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water, honey, instant yeast, salt and 15 ml olive oil. Whisk until combined. Let it sit for 5 minutes. You should see a few small bubbles forming, this shows the yeast is active.
  2. Add the bread flour. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until all the flour is hydrated and you have a sticky, shaggy dough. No need to knead at this stage.
  3. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for 10 minutes.  
  4. With wet hands (to stop the dough sticking), perform a set of stretch-and-folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and fold it over the centre. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat until you have done this on all four sides.  
  5. Rest another 10 minutes, then do a second set of stretch-and-folds.  
  6. After the final fold, flip the dough so the smooth side is up. Drizzle a little olive oil over the surface, cover the bowl tightly (plastic wrap or a lid) and place it in the refrigerator overnight (8–16 hours). This slow, cold fermentation develops flavour.
  7. The next day, line a baking tray or rectangular baking dish (roughly 23 × 33 cm / 9 × 13 inch) with baking paper. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil over the paper and spread it evenly.  
  8. Tip the cold dough into the oiled tray. With oiled hands, fold the dough in on itself a couple of times, then flip it so the smooth side faces up. Gently press it toward the edges of the tray.  
  9. Cover and leave in a warm place for 2 hours until the dough is visibly puffy and has spread across most of the tray. 
  10. If the dough hasn’t quite reached the edges, oil your hands and gently stretch and press it outward until it fills the tray. Be gentle, you want to keep the air bubbles inside.
  11. Drizzle the top of the dough generously with olive oil. With oiled fingertips, press straight down into the dough to create deep dimples all over the surface 
  12. Scatter your chosen toppings and finish with a good sprinkle of flaky sea salt.  

13. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C (425 °F) on the lowest rack for 25–30 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the bread feels firm and springs back when gently pressed. Baking on the lowest rack helps crisp the base.

14. Remove from the oven and let the focaccia cool in the tray for at least 15–20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Wait until it is mostly cool before slicing, this keeps the crumb from becoming gummy.