CRISPY FOCACCIA

I've been crafting this recipe for about two years now, and I'll probably still be making changes to it 30 years from now. There are, however, some tips that will always stay the same. First of all, the quality of your bread flour speaks volumes and really shines through in the focaccia. Second, make sure your hands are wet when working with the dough, this prevents the dough from sticking to your hands. Lastly, if you don't want two crispy loaves of focaccia you can opt to keep the dough whole and bake in a larger casserole pan.

What Snookie Uses:

Ingredients:

560g bread flour
470g warm water
8g active dry yeast
2 tsp kosher salt
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the bread flour and yeast until fully combined, set aside.

2. Mix together warm water and salt until salt is fully dissolved.

3. Begin by adding small increments of water to the dry mixture, mixing until all of the water is added and a semi-shaggy, wet dough has come together. Cover and place in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

5. Fold the dough by lifting under the mass, pulling up in the air and folding over. Repeat this four times on different sides of the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this process 2 more times.

6. By this point the dough should have more than doubled in size. Remove from the bowl and onto a lightly oiled countertop.

7. Using a bench scraper separate the dough in half.

8. Place each piece of dough onto an oiled baking sheet.

9. Press the dough at the sides to fill the sheet, making sure not to rip the dough. Cover and let rest for a minimum of 1 hour.

10. After an hour, lightly oil the dough and your hands and begin to dimple the dough until bubbles start to form.

11. Set your oven to 375F. Bake for 30-32 minutes. (A pro tip is to set the oven to broil right before the focaccia is done in order to get a nice golden crust.)

12. Rest on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, top with fine salt and Enjoy!