High hydration no-knead focaccia
The focaccia is a low and soft bread with very ancient origins. Traces of it can be found even before the Middle Ages, although it had nothing in common with today's versions. In ancient times, it was a flat bread made from all types of grain that were first crushed and ground into flour, then kneaded with water and baked on hot stones.
Over time, this preparation was modified and enriched until it reached the many versions we find today in our peninsula.
Among the most well-known are certainly the focaccia di Recco stuffed with stracchino and the focaccia barese enriched with cherry tomatoes.
Here is the recipe from our friend blogger Simona Valli from A mom in the kitchen
The version I propose today is very simple to make even for those who are not very familiar with doughs and do not own a mixer; I was inspired by Gabriele Bonci's recipe, although the procedure is completely different. The no-knead high-hydration focaccia is very easy to prepare, you will only need a bowl, a spoon, and a work surface.
Ingredients
400 g of type 1 bread flour Molini del Ponte
100 g of finely ground durum wheat semolina Molini del Ponte
400 g of water
3 g of fresh brewer's yeast
10 g of salt
20 g of extra virgin olive oil
finely ground semolina (for processing)
extra virgin olive oil (for finishing)
coarse salt and rosemary
Procedure
Take a large bowl, pour in the sifted flours, add the crumbled yeast and 300 g of cold water, and mix with a spoon.
Add the salt, the remaining water, and mix the dough until the flour has completely absorbed the water.
Add the oil, mix well, and cover the dough with plastic wrap.
Let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Dust the work surface with semolina, transfer the dough onto the work surface (it will be very soft and sticky, we will make it workable by performing strengthening folds*), oil your hands and gently press the dough to form a small rectangle, take the right side and bring it towards the center, then take the left side and bring it to the center overlapping it, turn the dough 90° and make another fold.
The following day, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the dough acclimate for 1.5 hours.
Dust the work surface with plenty of semolina, pour the dough onto the worktop, and gently stretch it with your fingertips to form a rectangle that is not too large (about 20x30 cm)
Transfer the dough to a baking tray brushed with extra virgin olive oil, and with your fingers, stretch the dough starting from the center towards the outside.
Cover and let rise for 2 hours. After the rising, sprinkle a little coarse salt on the surface, a drizzle of oil, and, if you like, some fresh rosemary.
Preheat the oven in static mode to 250°.Bake the focaccia for 10 minutes resting it on the bottom of the oven, then transfer it to the middle rack and cook for another 5/6 minutes**.
The no-knead high-hydration focaccia is ready, transfer it immediately to a rack and serve it with a platter of cured meats and cheeses.
There are various types of folds; with the three-fold technique, we can also incorporate air and achieve a tall and well-aerated focaccia.
** The cooking time is indicative; it depends on the power of your oven, check it often, it should be golden and crispy.
The flours you use in baking should have a medium strength ranging from 280 to 330W; often, this value is not indicated on the packages, so you can refer to the protein content. They are not the same thing, but they provide a fairly accurate indication of the strength of the flours themselves. I recommend using lightly refined flours for baking and mixing them with aromatic flours such as semolina, rye, or spelt in minimal amounts.
A hug
Simona Valli
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