Basic Focaccia Recipe (and EVERYTHING you want to know about focaccia!)

Step 1

Mix the flour, water and yeast in a roomy bowl and whisk with a wooden spoon to mix well.

Step 2

Cover with clingfilm and leave in the kitchen overnight. If you are not starting about 12 hours after mixing the poolish, place the poolish in the fridge until you need it, but no more than 4 hours.

Step 3

Dissolve the yeast in the water in your mixing bowl, a wooden spoon is best for this, it'll only take 20 seconds or so.

Step 4

Add the poolish, flour, followed by the salt, in that order.

Step 5

Using a dough hook, mix the ingredients on low until the flour is no longer "flying". Then increase to high (5 on my Titanium Chef) and mix for 8 minutes, until the dough is beginning to pull away from the sides. That means that it is stretching slightly, all around, while sticking to the sides. Scrape down the sides in the fir couple of minutes, if you have to.

Step 6

Lower the speed to low and drizzle in the 4 Tbsp of oil, while the dough hook is still moving.

Step 7

Increase the speed back up to high and mix for 3-5 minutes. At around the 3 minute mark, you will hear loud slapping sounds coming from your food mixer. Go take a look. If the dough is moving around in practically a ball shape, it is done. You can proceed with the next step.

Step 8

Tip the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl. Use a spatula to help it away from the mixing bowl, it should just come away easily.

Step 9

Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Step 10

Line your baking tin with baking paper if it's not non stick. Just in case!

Step 11

When the hour is up, tip the wet, risen dough into the middle of the tin. Lightly cover with clingfilm and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Step 12

At the end of 30 minutes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over, and push the focaccia dough, starting from the middle, to fit the tin. It should already be almost covering it anyway. Let the dough rest for another 20 minutes. Don't be tempted to pop those bubbles, apart from the ones you naturally touch as you are spreading the dough. We want those bubbles in our bread dough.

Step 13

Preheat the oven to 240˚C/475˚F.

Step 14

At the end of those 20 minutes, using the tip of your fingers, poke your dough all over to create dimples. Don't worry too much if you don't get pronounced dips.

Step 15

Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and scatter the rosemary all over. Finish off with a sprinkle of the salt flakes.

Step 16

Bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes, until the top is a beautiful golden brown and crispy.

Step 17

Take it out of the oven, leave it to rest for 10 minutes, before cutting into squares. Before cutting, you can drizzle the final 2 tablespoons of oil all over, if you like, which will give a wet feel to some part of the focaccia. I do it, but its a matter of taste.