Rosemary Focaccia - Daily Mediterranean Diet

For focaccia that is rich but light, we bake it in olive oil–coated cake pans and poke the dough with a fork before baking.

Rosemary Focaccia
MAKES two 9-inch round loaves, serving 6 to 8 VEG
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS We wanted to create a recipe for a light, airy focaccia with a pleasantly crisp crust. Traditional Italian recipes start with a sponge, which is made with water, yeast, and flour. The sponge helped develop structure, depth of flavor, and a hint of tang in the loaf. Once we had incorporated the sponge into our dough, we used a series of gentle folds to help develop the gluten structure even further while also incorporating air for a tender interior crumb. Olive oil is a key ingredient in focaccia, but we found that if we added it straight to the dough, it could turn the bread dense and cakelike. Instead, we baked the bread in round cake pans, where a couple of tablespoons of oil coating the exterior could be contained. Before baking, we poked the dough surface 25 to 30 times to pop large air bubbles and allow any extra gas to escape. Then we sprinkled the dough with a healthy dose of chopped fresh rosemary. Out of the oven, our focaccia boasted a crackly, crisp bottom, a deeply browned top, and an interior that was open and airy. It is important to use fresh, not dried, rosemary. Be sure to reduce the temperature immediately after putting the loaves in the oven.

SPONGE
½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup water, room temperature
¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
DOUGH
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1¼ cups water, room temperature
1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
Kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1. FOR THE SPONGE Stir all ingredients together in large bowl with wooden spoon until well combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until sponge has risen and begins to collapse, about 6 hours (sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours).
2. FOR THE DOUGH Stir flour, water, and yeast into sponge with wooden spoon until well combined. Cover bowl tightly with plastic and let dough rest for 15 minutes.
3. Stir 2 teaspoons salt into dough with wooden spoon until thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover bowl tightly with plastic and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
4. Using greased bowl scraper (or rubber spatula), fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 45 degrees and fold dough again; repeat turning bowl and folding dough 6 more times (total of 8 folds). Cover tightly with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat folding and rising. Fold dough again, then cover bowl tightly with plastic and let dough rise until nearly doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons oil each. Sprinkle each pan with ½ teaspoon salt. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and dust top with flour. Divide dough in half and cover loosely with greased plastic. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining piece covered), shape into 5-inch round by gently tucking under edges.
6. Place dough rounds seam side up in prepared pans, coat bottoms and sides with oil, then flip rounds over. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let dough rest for 5 minutes.
7. Using your fingertips, gently press each dough round into corners of pan, taking care not to tear dough. (If dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to stretch it again.) Using fork, poke surface of dough 25 to 30 times, popping any large bubbles. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon rosemary evenly over top of each loaf, cover loosely with greased plastic, and let dough rest until slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes.
8. Place pans on baking stone and reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake until tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let loaves cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and transfer to wire rack. Brush tops with any oil remaining in pans and let cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Folding Dough