Alison Roman's Overnight Focaccia, Tonight
Overnight Focaccia, but today. In one afternoon, brought to us by the talented cookbook author and food writer, Alison Roman from her book Nothing Fancy. Discover the joy of homemade focaccia with our quick and easy recipe. In just one day, you'll create a fluffy, flavorful bread using simple ingredients and no-fail techniques. Get ready for the delicious aroma of freshly baked goodness!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp instant dry yeast
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for coating the bowl and pan and drizzling on top
- 2 cups warm/room temperature water
- 5 cups bread flour all-purpose flour will also work, plus extra for dusting the work space
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes sliced in half, longways
- 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast, honey, olive oil and water.
- Using a wooden spoon, add the flour and mix. The mixture will be quite craggy and messy but that's what we're looking for. Add the salt and continue to mix until it goes from craggy to kind of wet and shaggy (the dough is going to be too wet and sticky to knead at this stage and not yet completely smooth). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until it doubles in size, for about an hour. I like to set a simer at this stage.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using the palm of one hand, press into the dough, turning and folding it onto itself (kneading) a few times (the dough should be sticky but much more manageable) until it starts looking smooth and elastic. Add sprinkles of flour as you do this if needed, but keep it minimal.
- Once the dough is smooth, drizzle the same bowl with olive oil and transfer the dough back to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until it doubles in size again, another 45 to 60 min. Set another timer here.
- Pour enough olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet (approximately 32 by 45 cm) and generously coat the entire sheet, lining the baking sheet with baking paper and olive oil on top will also work. Make sure the olive oil is spread evenly across the entire bottom of the baking sheet or baking paper. Turn the dough onto the baking sheet and, again using your hands, gently coax the dough into a flat, even layer. (It doesn’t need to stretch to the exact size of the sheet pan as it will naturally expand to fill in as it proofs and bakes.) Drizzle the top with olive oil and lightly drape a piece of plastic wrap over it. Let it rest in a warm spot for another 45 to 60 min. Set the timer here.
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celcius.
- Just before the final resting is over, poke the tomatoes and garlic slices into the dough. To d this, use the tips of your fingers to lightly dimple the surface and press the tomatoes and garlic into the dimples. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flakey sea salt. The dough is ready to bake when it's light and fluffy. Use your fingertips to press the dough lightly and see if it puffs back up to test this. It should feel buoyant. Bake until the bread is deeply golden brown and the toppings are caramelized and cooked through, about 35 to 45 min.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.