Sourdough Sam
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
- 1,637
- 0
Ingredients
Dough Prep
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups water (divided)
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 ¼ oz. packet)
2 teaspoons clover honey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing the pan and drizzling
1 pint thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
¼ cup rough chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive for drizzling
Method of Preparation
Combine flour and 2 cups of room-temperature water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on low speed, scraping the sides and hook as needed to properly incorporate all of the dry flour until a shaggy dough forms. Remove dough hook and cover with plastic wrap as you prepare the yeast (dough can stay in this state for several hours).
Combine yeast, honey and ½ cup of warm water with a fork or small rubber spatula to dissolve. Allow the mixture to rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Pour yeast mixture back into the stand mixer bowl with dough on low speed until all additional water absorbs, about 1 minute (pulse mixer on and off a couple of times to avoid splashing the mixture over the sides of the bowl). Add kosher salt and continue to mix, increasing speed to medium, until dough becomes elastic and sticky, about 5 minutes.
Using a large (preferably glass) bowl add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and swirling oil around coating all sides of the bowl. Transfer dough to the bowl using a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot on until dough has doubled in size, 2-3 hours.
Using a 13x9" baking pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and use fingertips to rub oil evenly over the entire pan including the sides. Next, keeping the dough in the bowl, gather up edges of the dough farthest from you and lift up and over into the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process, you want to deflate the dough while you form it into ball. Apply olive oil to your hands and transfer dough ball to the greased baking pan, and cover with a sheet of well-oiled plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Uncover dough and head back in with oiled hands. Gently stretching dough across the surface of the baking pan in an even layer, working it into the corners. If the dough springs back, let it rest for a couple of minutes and start again. Cover again with oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator and let the pan sit in warm spot until dough has double in height, about 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 450. Remove plastic wrap and drizzle olive oil and coat your hands again. Press your fingertips firmly into the dough, pushing down to the bottom of the pan to create dimples. Add all of your toppings evenly across the top and sprinkle with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake focaccia until surface is deep golden brown and the toppings have blistered, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow 10-15 minutes to cool. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.
Chef Juan Carlos & Family