Slow Cooking... Focaccia!
I fell back in love with focaccia watching the Fat episode of Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix, which was filmed in Italy. The sheer amount of (good) olive oil that they used in that episode, the crispy, oily, salty, dimpled outside, and the pillowy soft inside… Yum!
Up here in Byron, we have an amazing chef, David Lovett (who also goes by the name Nonna Lovetto) who makes focaccia wherever he goes. I first “met” his individual cherry tomato focaccias at 100 Mile Table, and he’s now up at Ethel Food Store in Brunswick Heads cooking up a storm with his classic focaccia dough. From blueberry scrolls, to hot cross buns with a butter float, Bunnings focaccia (with whole sausages baked into the top) to amazing Oomite, cheese and surprise ham scrolls.
Dave’s focaccia recipe featured in a recent issue of Gourmet Traveller which I made during iso… While still a slow, mindful process, it’s something you can make in 2 hours rather vs 2 days (aka sourdough).
In keeping with my Cook & the Chef series, I’m so happy to share my friend and Oomite partner-in-crime, Magdalena Roze’s version of Dave’s recipe. In her words: “Still warm, crispy, oily, salty on the outside & pillowy soft on the inside perfect focaccia! 🌈 Devoured with feta, pickles, olive & a glass of red. Heaven!”
x
BEST EVER FOCACCIA DOUGH RECIPE
MAGS’ VERSION OF DAVE LOVETT’S RECIPE
Ingredients
500g sifted plain flour
350ml lukewarm water
10g dried yeast
10g caster sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt
Good quality Australian olive oil
Semolina (or polenta) for dusting
Method
Combine 350ml lukewarm water with 10g dried yeast & 10g caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 500g sifted plain flour & 2tsp fine sea salt & mix for about 8-10 mins until a ball of sticky dough forms.
Grease a 15cm x 25cm x 3cm tray with olive oil & dust with semolina or polenta. Scrape dough into tray with a spatula & rub 1tbsp oil over the ball. Leave to prove (double) for 20-30 mins.
Now the easy (but very important) part. Channel your inner Nonna hands, & stretch the dough to fill the tray by LIFTING it from UNDERNEATH so you’re not so much stretching as you are letting gravity pull it away from you. You want to keep as much air in it as possible, it should be soft & pillowy. Drizzle with olive oil & let it prove for 10-15 mins.
Preheat oven to 240 degrees Celsius. Using both hands, make deep indents in the dough with your fingertips, drizzle with more oil & prove for a further 10-12 mins.
Top with whatever you like by pressing in gently. Drizzle with more oil & set aside to prove one last time until the dough is popping over the edge of the tray.
Season generously with sea salt flakes & bake for 12-15 mins until deep golden. Add one final drizzle of oil when it comes out of the oven, allow to rest in tray for 5 mins before cooling on a wire rack for 20-30 mins, then serve!
Buon Appetito!