Ligurian Focaccia
Olive oil sponge cake. Salt brine is the secret ingredient.
Timing note: 18 Hours
Ligurian Focaccia
Olive oil sponge cake. Salt brine is the secret ingredient.
Timing note: 18 Hours
The Key Move
Focaccia should not be dry bread. It should be fried on the bottom and moist in the middle. The secret is Brine. We pour salt water over the dough before baking. The water evaporates, leaving salt crystals and keeping the dough soft, while
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The Setup
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Large Mixing Bowl
The Mise en Place
3Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/2)
The Wet Mix (0/1)
Stuck to the pan.
You didn't use enough oil, or your pan isn't non-stick. Use metal, not glass, and liberal oil.
Dense/Flat.
You knocked the air out or didn't let it proof long enough in the pan.
The Method
FERMENT
Mix dough. Let rise in fridge for 12-14 hours.
PAN
Pour oil into a baking sheet. Dump dough in. Turn to coat. Let rise again until it fills the pan.
Do not force it. If it shrinks back, let it rest 10 mins.
DIMPLE
Use all 10 fingers to DIMPLE the dough aggressively. Push to the bottom.
It should look like a moon landscape.
It should look like a moon landscape.
BRINE
Pour the salt water over the dough. It will pool in the dimples.
BAKE
BAKE at 450°F (230°C) until golden brown. Pitfall: If it's pale, it's not done. We want a fried crust.
Top is deeply golden, edges crisp, interior airy.
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