Same Day No Knead Focaccia Base
I love bread. I used to eat gluten-free for some strange reason; I’m not even allergic, I just was a victim of social pressure and diet culture, if I’m being honest. So, if you can eat bread, by all means eat that bread. BUT homemade bread will ALWAYS be better than MOST store-bought breads unless you have a trustworthy bakery close by, I think learning to make your bread is one of the best skills you can learn in the kitchen. So often in the US, we consume store-bought bread with 20-plus ingredients listed on the packaging, which is insane to me. So a few years ago, I decided I wanted to make more bread from scratch and buy less of it from the store, but if I do, I get it from a local bakery that knows their shiz.
So here is a homemade, easy, no-knead same-day focaccia recipe. I love focaccia because it is, yes, delicious and fluffy but also super versatile. You can make focaccia sweet or savory, top it with an infinite amount of flavor combos, and use it in so many different ways. Eat it as is with butter or oil and vin, make garlic bread out of it, or french toast, use two slices for a sando or an open-face pizza toastie, and if you have any leftovers after a few days, use it to make homemade croutons. There are so many ways to use this bread. So, why not make it at home for a fraction of the cost with a fraction of the ingredients compared to store-bought?
Ingredients:
2 tsp (8 grams) of yeast
2 tsp of honey
575 grams of lukewarm water (98° F and 105°F)
725 grams (5 cups) of AP flour
2 tsp of salt
lots of EVOO
Method:
Start by whisking together the yeast with half the lukewarm water (98° F and 105°F) and honey until combined. Put the bowl in a warm place and let it sit and foam up. The sugar is a food for the yeast and helps with the rise! If it doesn’t foam, you will want to start again, check your water temp and the expiration date of the yeast. Don’t use dead yeast!!! Trust me, been there and done that. It doesn’t work :)
Then add the AP flour, salt, and some of the remaining water (slowly add the water, you want your dough to be sticky and partially wet and all the flour to be incorporated but not runny or soupy). Mix with damp hands or a silicon scapula until a shaggy hydrated dough forms.
Ball the dough into the bottom of the bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and place somewhere warm for 1-2 hours, depending on how warm the place is. The dough should double in size after about 1-2 hours and be reaching up for the rim of the bowl.
Once the dough has doubled, do 4 stretches and folds by pulling up on each side and folding the dough into the middle, quarter turning, and repeat.
Perpare your baking sheet or pan with butter or olive oil, coating the entire surface thoroughly. Put your dough into the baking tray, covered, and in a warm space again for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size again and fills up the space of the pan.
Once risen, lather and rub the dough with olive oil. Then top with flavors and mix ins of your choosing, I like sea salt- rosemary, garlic-tomato, or leek-potatoes. GO CRAZY
Once covered and topped, dimple the dough with oil-covered fingers. Big bubbles should form!
Bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and perfectly fluffy. The bottom should be golden brown and cooked through.
Serve warm and enjoy :)
Notes:
Depending on the brand of flour you use, your dough consistency might vary, refer to the video below to get a visual of what you want your dough to look like….. it is a very hydrated dough and should be sticky to touch
