Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:

• 320 grams of water, warm
• 7 grams of salt
• 3 grams of yeast
• 12 grams olive oil
• 400 grams bread flour

Instructions:

1. Weigh out ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

2. Stir until combined. Dough will be shaggy but it will sort itself out later in the process. 

3. Add a generous amount of oil to cover a 9×13 storage container with a tight fitting lid. 

4. Place dough into an oiled container and rest covered for 30 minutes.

5. Stretch and fold twice and let it rest covered for 30 minutes.

6. Repeat the stretch and fold again, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.

7. Check if it is ready, the dough should go from shaggy to soft and smooth. It won’t hold a tight shape like a lower-hydration dough and it should still jiggle. What you’re after is a manageable texture you can work with. If it’s sticking to your hands or the container, it needs more time and another round. Repeat the stretch and fold with a 30 minute rest if necessary.

8. Coil fold the dough, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.

9. Repeat the coil foil, cover and rest another 30 minutes. 

10. Assess the dough before moving on. If a coil fold is too difficult to shape, give it another rest and try again. Once dough is behaving, move on to the next step.

11. Place rested dough covered in the refrigerator overnight. 

12. Remove from the refrigerator and place in a well oiled glass baking pan or on a parchment lined sheet pan. The goal is to have the pan to be big enough for the dough to rise but also snug enough to give it shape. 

13. Cover dough pan and let rise for 2-3 hours, until dough is poufy. 

14. Drizzle dough with olive oil. Poke your fingers down to the bottom of the pan and then gently curl your fingers to create air bubbles in your dough. Repeat across the entire surface of your dough.

15. Bake  450^o F for 20-25 minutes to an internal baking temp of 204^o F. Bottom of bread should be golden before removing from the oven. 

Notes:

• If you want to add vegetables or herbs to your bread before baking make sure they are fresh. Dried herbs will burn during cooking. 
• We like to mince fresh garlic and add it to the olive oil when drizzling on top. 
• This is the bread from our 30 years 30 layer lasagna patio party. 

Stretch and Fold

1. Oil your hands.
2. Pull the dough outward gently, working clockwise around the bowl. Shake it a little as you tug to work the dough rather than force it.
3. Fold the stretched section toward the center.
4. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat until you’ve gone all the way around.
5. Cover and rest.

Why: Stretch and folds build strength gently. Don’t force it — if the dough tears, you’re pulling too hard. You’re finessing it with a little shimmy, not muscling it.

Coil Fold

Option 1 — Stretch and fold to the center

1. Oil your fingers using the excess oil in the dough container.
2. Fluff the dough gently into a rectangle, short end facing you. Don’t deflate it.
3. Stretch the right long side outward, then pull it back and fold it over into the center.
4. Stretch the left long side outward, then fold it toward the center.
5. Roll the dough up, then cover and rest.
6. Repeat for the next coil fold.

Option 2 — Lift and tuck

1. Oil your hands.
2. Lift the dough gently and set it back down so the bottom edge folds under.
3. Lift again and set it down so the top edge folds under.
4. Turn the container and repeat both lifts.
5. Cover and rest, then repeat for the next coil fold.

Why: Coil folds build strength without deflating the dough. Work gently — you’re shaping and strengthening, not punching down