Poolish Focaccia

For this focaccia recipe I decided to use the indirect method. What does that mean? It means that a small amount of flour, water and yeast is taken from the main recipe, mixed and pre-fermented overnight, then eventually added when making bread the day after. It's as simple as that! 
There are different pre-ferments and this one I’m using today is called the poolish method.  This bread making method was first developed in Poland during the 1840s (hence the name) and is probably the easiest pre-ferment that anyone can do / use in their baking to turn simple recipes into something more interesting! 
You might ask what are the benefits of using this method? Like any other pre-ferments, the poolish method gives the bread a longer shelf life. It develops a better crust and due to its long fermentation, this method gives an excellent aroma to the final bread. 

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Makes: 1 large focaccia  

Ingredients
For the Poolish 

• 100g Manitoba flour 
• 100g water 
• 0.5g fresh yeast 

For the Final Dough

• 400g 00 flour 
• 300g water 
• 15g salt (+20 ml water) 
• Olive oil 
• 6g yeast 
• 15g of fresh oregano, rosemary or any wooden herb you like

Method

• Day 1 

1. Make the poolish: mix together water and yeast until the yeast has fully dissolved. Add the flour and mix again until there is no more dry flour. Cover and let it ferment at room temperature for 10-12 hours max. 

• Day 2 

1. To start, pre-measure all of the ingredients. In a large bowl add the water, the fresh yeast and the poolish and with one hand mix well until the yeast and the poolish have fully dissolved. Now add all the flour and hold the bowl with one hand before using the other hand to mix everything for 5 minutes or until there are no more bits of dry flour and it forms a very shaggy dough. 
2. The dough will be very sticky at this point but don't worry. Once you have mixed the shaggy dough, instead of trying to wipe the sticky dough off with a towel, or wash it off under running water, just grab a few generous pinch of dry flour and rub it back and forth on your hands. The dry flour absorbs the excess liquid, and the dough comes right off. Put all the crumbs back into the dough. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
3. TIP. We suggest to keep the dough in a warm and wet environment for the best result. Usually in bakeries they often use a dough proofer, which is a warming chamber used to encourages fermentation of dough by yeast through warm temperatures and controlled humidity. You can do the same at home by leaving the dough inside your oven or microwave at 25-27°C with a cup of hot boiling water inside to help to create humidity. Cover the dough at all times and once you put the cup of boiling water inside the oven or microwave do not open it until next step so you don't lose any of the humidity and warm temperature. Change the water in the cup with new boiling water every time you open the oven for the next step.
4. Add the salt and the 20ml of water and give the dough few folds using the coil fold technique. To coil fold your dough, rinse your hands in water and gently lift the dough with both hands from the middle until one end releases from the bowl. Gently lower the dough to allow the loosened end to tuck under the middle, and repeat with the other side. The dough should now look like it is coiled over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat this process until the dough does not stretch very far anymore, and holds its shape. Repeat this coil fold 3 more times, resting the dough 45 minutes each time. The dough will strengthen more and more after each coil fold!  This technique is used in high hydration dough and it gives a better structure to the final dough. After the last set, move the dough into a large oven dish or 32cm x 25cm x 5cm tin and rest once more for 30 minutes.​
5. Pick the leaves from the fresh oregano and sprinkle it over the focaccia. Do the same with a big pinch of salt and a good drizzle of olive oil. Press your fingers into the dough to make dimples and then let it rest for another 30 min.
6. Turn the oven on to 230°C (fan) and place a small baking pan or a deep tray at the bottom of the oven. Once the oven has reached the correct temperature and when it's been 30 minutes since the last rest of the dough, press your fingers into the dough to make dimples again. Place your focaccia in the middle of  the oven and straight after add half a glass of cold water into the small baking pan at the bottom and quickly close the oven. This will produce steam which helps the bread to rise and to develop a better crust.
7. ​Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Once the focaccia is out of the oven, drizzle some more EVO olive oil on top and let it cool down on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before enjoying. ​

Watch the recipe video

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