Focaccia bread Hearth Bread and Flatbread Discuss Focaccia bread in the Brick Oven Cooking forums; fired up the oven and tried baking che bello ok I'm trying this new link Picasa Web Albums - Philip ...

[MAVANO]

fired up the oven and tried baking che bello ok I'm trying this new link Picasa Web Albums - Philip - focaccia brea...

[oventhusiast]

Looks great! How'd it taste?
Where is the recipe?
Rick

[MAVANO]

Well thats my wife's reciepe, will post it when she write it down for me ,she does it all by eye she weighs the flour but never the water only feels for consistancy of mix

[james]

I have been making a traditional slightly thicker Genovese focaccia for the past few weeks, experimenting with the formula and technique and I seem to be settling into something I like. This is different that than Pizza Bianco recipe from Chefs Illustrated (90% hydration, thinner and more crunch) and it is thicker and softer than the Tuscan schiaciatta. But it isn't a boring, soft white bread that tries to pass as Focaccia Genovese.

400gr water (cool, not warm)
500gr KA GP flour
10gr salt
4-5gr yeast
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil (but none in the dough).

Mix the dough on low for 2 minutes to just mix all of the ingredients, then knead on high for 8 minutes. I've been standing and watching the dough mix, and it's interesting to watch it move from sticky batter to forming a real dough ball at about minute 5. It's important to mix it long and fast to develop the gluten it need for structure and to make the holes and the nice crust. I've tried to rush it, and it just doesn't work. Use cool water so the dough won't overheat.

Let it rise for 90 minutes of to double.

Push it down and spread it out on a well-oiled baking sheet. The dough is well hydrated, but because you kneaded it to make a dough ball, you can work with it. Use olive oil on your hands to keep it from sticking.

Let it rise back up for 20 minutes, then push finger holes into it, and coat the top with olive oil.

Bake at 425ºF until golden (or even middle) brown. You should get a lot of orange in the color.

Pull the focaccia out, and drizzle top quality olive oil over the top. It should be over 1" thick. Crunchy crust, with a light, holey and delicate crumb.

I will post photos later.

Let me know how this works for you.
James

[blacknoir]

James, do you cook it in the WFO with or without the baking sheet? And what kind of flour is KA? I get that GP=General Purpose.

[Ken524]

KA GP= King Arthur General Purpose.

We need to start a thread that defines all the acronyms we throw around.

[CanuckJim]

BN,

You can TRY to slide it out of the baking sheet if you line it with parchment paper first, then directly onto the brick, paper and all. However, I've found that this is way too risky with a high hydration formula. Just leave it on the sheet; it will bake just fine.

Jim

[texassourdough]

I have never made my focaccia in the WFO but as runny as mine is I sure wouldn't trust it. It would probably make a cracker the size of my oven - and then I wouldn't be able to get it out through the door without breaking it into pieces!

Somehow that conjures up a humorous vision for me but I don't think I want to experience it first hand!

Besides, an important facet of focaccia is the oil it absorbs and fries in in the pan! It would lose that great fried bread crust! And that would be SAD!

Jay

[Dutchoven]

Originally Posted by texassourdough

I have never made my focaccia in the WFO but as runny as mine is I sure wouldn't trust it. It would probably make a cracker the size of my oven - and then I wouldn't be able to get it out through the door without breaking it into pieces!

Jay

That gave me quite a good laugh Jay. Thanks!
Dutch