Equipment
Ingredients
Dough Base
- 380 ml water, warm, around 35C to 40C
- 10 g honey
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Toppings and Pan
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 15 g fresh basil, torn
- 5 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, honey, and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture develops a frothy foam on the surface.
Add the all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, and 30ml of extra virgin olive oil to the activated yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry spots of flour remain.
Perform a stretch and fold to build structure. Grab one edge of the dough, pull it upward to stretch, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl slightly and repeat this action on all sides until the dough feels tight. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.
Pour about half of the remaining 45ml of olive oil into a 9x13 inch baking pan, using your hands to coat the bottom and sides thoroughly. Transfer the dough into the pan, flipping it once so both sides are coated in oil. Gently stretch the dough outward toward the corners. Cover and let rise for another 45 minutes until the dough is very puffy and naturally fills the pan.
Preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the surface of the fully proofed dough. Rub oil onto your fingers and press them firmly and straight down into the dough to create deep dimples across the entire surface.
Gently press the halved cherry tomatoes into the dimples, cut side facing up. Sprinkle the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and flaky sea salt evenly across the top of the dough.
Bake the focaccia in the preheated 220C/425F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The bread is done when the top is deeply golden brown, the cheese is toasted and crisp, and the internal temperature reaches 90C/190F.
Remove the baking pan from the oven. Carefully and immediately transfer the bread from the pan onto a wire cooling rack to prevent the bottom from steaming and becoming soggy. Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
Just before serving, scatter the torn fresh basil over the warm bread. Slice the focaccia into squares and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Using high-quality extra virgin olive oil is crucial for a successful focaccia, as the generous amount of oil essentially shallow-fries the bottom of the bread in the pan, creating its signature shatteringly crisp crust.
- Adding fresh basil before baking would cause the delicate leaves to scorch in the hot oven and turn bitterly unpleasant. Always add tender herbs immediately after the bread emerges from the oven to preserve their color and aroma.
- If your kitchen is particularly cold, you can create a gentle proofing environment by placing the covered dough inside a turned-off oven with only the interior light switched on.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 1 month — Slice into portions and freeze in a zip-top freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 5 to 8 minutes to restore the crispy crust.
