Refrigerator Focaccia

calendar May 11, 2022 · 2 min read · bread

I've made a Focaccia from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" before, and it was a good recipe to get going on.. but this one is much easier, and needs overall less care and attention.

This recipe is adapted from https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/, but the process has been modified by me.

Ingredients

  • 512g all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 10g kosher salt
  • 8g instant yeast
  • 455g tepid water
  • butter for greasing
  • olive oil
  • flaky sea salt (I wound up using table salt, because that's what I had)

Process

Night before, before bedtime: Make the dough.

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast.
  2. Add the water.
  3. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
  4. Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil.
  5. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel
  6. Place in the fridge for 12 hours, up to 3 days.

Morning of, when you get up: Remove the dough from the fridge.

  1. Remove the dough from the fridge, and let it hang out for 2-4 hours.

2-4 hours later (lunchtime):

  1. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil in the bottom of the pan, or enough to cover the bottom.
  3. Pull the dough from the sides of the bowl, rotating the bowl and deflating the dough as you go.
  4. Press the dough into the corners and sides of the pan, filling it.
  5. Cover in olive oil
  6. Cover the whole thing with a damp towel, and let it hang out for 3-4 hours.

3-4 hours later (early evening / early dinnertime)

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Apply olive oil to the dough
  3. Dimple the dough, making sure the dough is filled out into the corners of the pan. It should be.. yeasted doughs generally don't shrink.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes
  5. Remove from oven, and remove the dough from the pan and transfer to cooling rack.

Profit!