Breads Part V
Four Hour Herb Focaccia

    Focaccia originated in Genoa, Italy.  The bread gets its name from the Latin word "focus", which means hearth.  Focaccia was traditionally baked by the embers of the hearth.  The classic version has olive oil and sea salt as toppings, but now there are many variations found all over Liguria, a region of northwest Italy.  The bread is complemented by fresh herbs, vine-ripened tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, capers, grilled eggplant, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and so forth.

I use a small amount of rye and whole wheat flour in the dough because they contain bacteria that help with flavor during the fermentation.  I also give variations to enhance the dough flavor a bit more.  The bread, however, is delicious without the optional ingredients.

Dry Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1 tablespoon rye flour
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons dry yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt

Wet Ingredients
1 1/2 cups spring water
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Herb Ingredients
Use one herb or the other, not both.
2 tablespoons of roughly chopped fresh sage or 
3/4 to 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped fresh rosemary

Fit your food processor with the metal chopping blade.  Add all the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse several times to mix.  Then pour in the water and olive oil.  Pulse until the flour begins to clump together.  Then run the food processor for 20 seconds, no more, to knead.  Remove the dough to a bowl over twice the size in volume.

Letting the dough now sit for 10 to 15 minutes will enable it to absorb the water.  This is called "autolyse."  While the dough is sitting, roughly chop the herbs.  Then sprinkle the herbs over the dough and knead in.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment for two hours.

I use a baking stone because it produces the best ovenspring and crust.  I also use a pizza peel for the second raising so I can easily place the dough in the oven.  I will give directions assuming you have this minimal bread baking equipment.  If you do not own these items, I can recommend them without reservation.

Cut parchment paper to fit a pizza peel with a couple of inches excess; then cut it in half so the cut runs the same direction as the handle and overlap it in the middle.  After two hours, the dough should have doubled in size.  If so, punch it down, and remove the dough to a floured surface.  Round the dough by rotating it clockwise (or counter-clockwise, if that is more intuitive) with a cupping motion of the hands.  Then press it out into a 9" circle.  Place it on the parchment covered pizza peel and cover it with a cloth.  Let it rise for one hour.

A half hour before the dough if fully risen, place the baking stone on the middle rack in the oven; place a sturdy stainless steel or cast iron pan on the bottom rack.  Heat the oven to 450º.  Just before baking, heat a cup of water for 1 minute in the microwave.  Also just before baking, using a finger, poke indentations in the dough all the way to the bottom and then coat the dough with extra virgin olive oil.  You can also scatter some sage or rosemary leaves over the top of the dough, for garnish.

When ready to bake, slide the dough on the parchment paper onto the baking stone (I grip the parchment paper where it overlaps with tongs and pull it onto the stone), and pour the cup of water in the pan on the lowest rack, keeping your head back so the steam will not burn you.  The steam will keep the crust soft for the first 10 minutes of baking, enabling the bread to fully rise.  Bake for one or two minutes, then turn the oven down to 400º.  Now bake for 8 minutes.  Then, using tongs, remove the parchment paper, pulling it out from each side, and rotate the dough 180º.  Remove the pan with water; you do not want any steam now.  Bake for another 10 minutes.  Check the bread to see if the crust is getting too brown.  If it is, turn the oven down to 325º.  Bake for 5 more minutes.  It should now be done.  Check to see if it sounds hollow when tapped on the center bottom.  If you want to use a thermometer, it is done when the internal temperature is 205º.  When done, remove to a rack to cool.

Serve with olive oil for dipping.

Optional ingredients:

Dry Ingredients
3 tablespoons semolina flour
3 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Wet Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Herb Ingredients
Use in addition to the fresh sage or rosemary.
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh chives
or
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh thyme

Options on yeast:

If you have 5 hours for the bread to ferment (the first rise), use 1 teaspoon of yeast.
If you have all day for the bread to ferment, use 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.
If you prepare the dough the night before and put it in the refrigerator, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.  So the dough can warm up, remove it two hours before forming the dough into a disk and placing it on the pizza peel.

For ciabatta, let the dough raise on the pizza peel longer than an hour.