Simple food...

Inspired and modified from Vito Iacopelli’s grandmother’s recipe.

My understanding is there are two types of focaccias, one thinner and one thicker. This is the thicker type.

If you know how to make pizzas, you’ll see that the dough is pretty much the same as making a pizza dough - after all, it’s just flour, yeast, water and salt. Cooking on a home oven, we add sugar (honey) and oil to brown the crust and make it crispy.

You can put any topping like on it basically. In the photo above, I put on anchovies, cherry tomatoes, melted some cheese.....the possibilities are endless.

The key is, the longer you leave it, the softer the dough and the better tasting your focaccia will be.

Serves 4 (for lunch)

Ingredients:

For Poolish:

• Water 300g @ 20-22ºC
• Flour 300g
• Dry Yeast 7g
• Honey 9g

For Dough:

• Flour 100g
• Salt 12g

For Focaccia:

• Cherry Tomatoes 12
• Black Olives Personal preference
• Oregano Sprinkle
• Sea Salt Flakes Sprinkle
• Olive Oil Enough to coat the focaccia

Instructions:

Making the Poolish (Method 1):

1. Pour water into a big bowl.
2. Add dry yeast and honey to the water.
3. Add flour to the water. Stir till it looks like batter.
4. Pour everything into an air tight container.
5. Rest in room temperature for 1 hour.
6. Put into fridge overnight.

Making the Poolish / Dough (Method 2):

1. Pour water into a big bowl.
2. Add dry yeast and honey to the water.
3. Add all the flour (from the poolish and dough) to the water. Mix well.
4. Add the salt.
5. Stir till no dry flour can be seen.
6. Pour everything into an air tight container.
7. Rest in room temperature for 1 hour.
8. Put into fridge overnight.

Making the Dough:

1. Add the salt to the flour in a bowl then add the salt and flour to the poolish, mix well. (Skip this step if using method 2 above)
2. Pour the dough onto a smooth, flat surface and knead for 15 minutes. Prepare a small bowl with cold water and wet both hands. The dough will not stick to the hands when they are wet.
3. Make the dough into a ball.
4. Put some olive oil into another big bowl and coat the bottom of the bowl evenly.
5. Put dough ball in the big bowl and cover up with a wet towel.
6. Proof for 1 hour 45 minutes in big bowl.
7. Take dough out and re-shape into a ball. Do not punch out all the air inside. Use the oil in the bowl to moisten your hands so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands and fingers.
8. Coat bottom of 13” baking tray with some olive oil so that the dough won’t stick.
9. Transfer dough to centre of baking tray, cover and proof for 45 minutes in tray.
10. Re-shape dough into a smooth ball again, as much as you can. Do not punch out all the air inside.
11. Cover up and proof for another 45 minutes in tray.
12. Turn on oven 30 minutes before cooking.

Tips on making the dough ball:

1. Avoid the dough sticking to the hands and fingers by wetting them first before kneading.
2. Avoid using the palm to squeeze the dough unless palms are wet (to avoid sticking).
3. If you have trouble shaping the dough into a ball, imagine the dough as a square. Pick up the dough from the left and right sides using the four fingers of each hand, allowing the dough to stretch (gravity) as the dough is lifted. Put the dough down, letting the other sides (top and bottom) which are drooping down to touch the surface first. At the same time, open your arms to slightly stretch the dough sideways as the rest of the dough lands back on the surface.
4. Repeat the process again with the “top” and “bottom” sides.
5. Repeat above steps a few times. The dough will become smooth.

Making the Focaccia:

1. Pre-heat oven to 220ºC half an hour before cooking.
2. Put some olive oil on top of the dough.
3. Press the dough to fill up the whole baking tray. The dough should be very relaxed now.
4. Cut a slit on each cherry tomato with a small knife.
5. Rip open the tomato through the slit and squeeze it face down (skin side up) on the dough.
6. Repeat for preferred amount of tomatoes.
7. Season with oregano and sea salt flakes.
8. Put on a little of olive oil in zig zag motion.
9. Top with some black olives. Gently push them a little into the dough.
10. Put into oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until brown.