High-hydration bubble focaccia: the recipe

At a glance

• Method: Preferment, with autolyse (1 hour)
• Preferment: Poolish — 9% of the flour
• Mixing: Stand mixer

• Number of pieces: 1
• Weight per piece: 1065 g
• Preferment weight: 100 g
• Dough weight: 966 g
• Total dough weight: 1065 g

Want to change the number of pieces, their weight or anything else? The calculator redoes the quantities. Open the calculator

Ingredients

Quantities for 1 piece of 1065 g, kitchen at 20 °C

Want to change the ingredients or use your own flour? The calculator redoes quantities and timing. Open the calculator

Method

1. Poolish: make it and let it ferment (at room temperature) (17 hours)

   • Weigh the ingredients
   • Make a mix with 1 ice cube and 30 g of water at room temperature (to get it to 14 °C)
   • Dissolve the yeast in the water
   • Mix until you get a smooth batter
   • Seal it airtight (a lid, or plastic wrap pressed onto the surface)
2. Weigh the ingredients and knead (1 h 45 min)

   • Make a mix with 1 ice cube and 430 g of water at room temperature (to get it to 17 °C)
   • Hold back 150 g of water and pour it in gradually while it comes together

   Turn the dough out onto the counter and start slap & fold, repeatedly. Let it rest 30 minutes uncovered, then start the folds.
3. End of mixing, start of bulk rise (at room temperature) (4 hours)

   Transfer the dough to an oiled container and let it double at room temperature.
4. Reinforcement fold 1 of 3
5. Reinforcement fold 2 of 3
6. Reinforcement fold 3 of 3
7. Divide/shape, start proofing (at room temperature) (16 hours)

   • Stretch it into an oiled steel pan and let it rise in a proofing box or the switched-off oven, uncovered, with the door closed and the light off, for about 15-17 hours. It's ready when the dough reaches above the rim of the pan.
   • If your kitchen is very dry, lightly grease the surface with a film of oil — an oil sprayer does it without touching the dough — or put a bowl of water on the oven floor.
8. Ready to cook

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Baking

1. • conventional oven, without steam
   • Overall temperature: 250 °C
   • Time: 12 minutes
   • On the oven floor; salt and oil sprinkled on top, dimples made with the fingertips

The calculator adapts baking times to the weight of your pieces. Open the calculator

Preparation notes

Topping

Don't make the typical Genoese-focaccia brine with water: this dough is already highly hydrated and doesn't need it. Add rosemary or whatever you prefer before baking.