Recipe by Loounie in collaboration with La Milanaise
Cooking time: 18-22 minutes
Resting time: 120-150 minutes
Yield: One 9’’ x 16’’ focaccia
A perfectly salty and flavourful focaccia, ideal for appetizers or memorable breakfast sandwiches! By using a blend of bread flour and pizza flour, you get a focaccia that is both tender and well-structured. With a touch of sugar and sparkling water instead of plain water, this well-risen and perfectly soft focaccia is ready in under three hours total, with just a few minutes of hands-on preparation.
Ingredients
• 250 g (1 ¾ cups) La Milanaise No. 50 sifted bread flour
• 250 g (1 ¾ cups) La Milanaise tipo 00 pizza flour
• 8 g (one packet, or 2 tsp) instant yeast
• 10 ml (2 tsp) salt
• 5 ml (1 tsp) brown sugar or granulated sugar*
• 450 ml (1 ¾ cups + 1 tbsp) Indigo Soda sparkling water, slightly tempered**
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) olive oil, divided
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried onions
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) toasted sesame seeds
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) black sesame seeds
• 10 ml (2 tsp) poppy seeds
• 5 ml (1 tsp) dried garlic
• Flaky salt, to taste
Preparation
• Prepare a 9’’x 16” baking dish by lining the bottom with parchment paper and oiling the bottom and sides well. Set aside.
• In a bowl, measure the flours. Add the instant yeast, salt, and brown sugar. Using a whisk, mix thoroughly.
• Add the sparkling water. Using a wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk, gently mix until all ingredients are well moistened.
• Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (rise 1 of 4)
• Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the dough and lightly oil your fingers. With your hands, stretch the dough upwards, then fold it over. Turn the bowl and repeat the pull/fold technique 4-5 times. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (rise 2 of 4)
• Repeat the pull/fold process 4-5 times with the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (rise 3 of 4).
• During this third rise, prepare the seasoning mixture: in a small bowl, combine the dried onions, toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, and flaky salt. Mix well and set aside.
• Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Sprinkle about half of the bagel seasonings over the dough. Stretch the dough, then fold it over. Repeat 2-3 times, then lightly stretch the dough to allow it to spread more easily in the baking dish. Cover with a lid or plate, then let rest for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the dough has spread throughout the dish and bubbles form (rise 4 of 4).
• Place one rack on the bottom position and another on the center position in the oven, then preheat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the surface of the dough and spread well with your hands. Sprinkle the remaining seasonings.
• With your fingers, create dimples in the dough.
• Bake the dish on the bottom rack for 10 minutes, then move to the center rack and continue baking for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown.
(*) In a quick-rise focaccia prepared on the same day, as is the case with this recipe, brown sugar or sugar helps to accelerate the rising process. If you prefer to prepare your dough the day before and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator (rise 1 of 4), you can omit the brown sugar or sugar.
(**) For better carbonation, it is always best to use cold water with a sparkling water machine. Once the water is carbonated, you can let it temper for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredients.
