Chef Gena’s Classic Focaccia Bread
As we dive into another week of quarantine, my list of places to go once this is over is growing by the day. One random thing I’ve been craving is a Panera Bread focaccia sandwich. With no end to Covid in sight, I started making my own sandwiches with Chef Gena’s easy focaccia bread!
Artisan breads was the second course of my Escoffier baking and pastry arts program. Each week, we made a new type of bread, from bagels and pretzels, to brioche and challah, culminating in croissants! It was a heavenly (smelling and tasting) 12 weeks in my kitchen.
Our class was lucky to learn from the amazing Chef Gena Lora, who shared her knowledge and passion for breads, as well as her personal recipes, like the one I’m sharing today!
What is focaccia bread…
Focaccia is a flat, Italian, olive oil soaked loaf that can be made plain, stuffed, or topped with vegetables, herbs, seasonings or cheese! We love focaccia bread because it’s the perfect blend of soft and chewy interior, with a crispy bite and a distinct flavor. I use Chef Gena’s easy focaccia bread for sandwiches, pizza dough, (cheesy garlic) breadsticks, and more!
Forming the dough…
After mixing for a few minutes, you’ll notice the dough is starting to climb up the hook and the sides of the bowl are almost perfectly clean. This is your visual cue that your dough is developed, and is ready to relax and proof!
It is going to be extremely sticky, so a plastic scraper of some sort is helpful to remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Give it a few turns so that it’s covered in oil, cover, and set aside to proof.
The Stretch and Fold…
Stretching and folding the dough is similar to the common “punching” or deflating step. Thinking of the dough as a square, take one side of the dough, stretch it out and up, then pull down into the middle of the bowl. Repeat with the opposite side, then with the two remaining sides. It should stretch and pull very easily, which is a sign that your dough is relaxed.
For any “Bread-heads” interested in the technicalities behind this step, there’s three benefits to the stretch and fold:
1. It releases the carbon dioxide that builds up during proofing.
2. Similar to the kneading process, it helps realign and further develop the gluten strands.
3. It evens out the dough temperature throughout.
The Dimpling Process…
Dimpling the dough is the trademark of focaccia bread because it creates the signature grooves and craters. To do this, press your fingertips into the dough, all over the surface. Be sure to press down fully because you will lose some of the depth after the dough proofs again. Here’s a video of the dimpling process:
Baking on Stoneware…
My preference for baking bread is on stoneware, so this recipe is sized for my 10 1/2″ x 14 3/4″ Large Bar Pan. Baking stones develop the crust more effectively than metal pans, because they allow the moisture to escape from the dough, which results in a crispier crust. If you don’t have a stone, metal will work, but the crust won’t get quite as crisp.
Once your bread is deep golden brown on the top and bottom, and reaches 190 degrees internally, it’s done! Focaccia should be eaten within a day or two, otherwise, it should be frozen. (See note below about freezing tips.)
The Future of Focaccia
What veggies, herbs, seasonings, or cheeses would you use for focaccia? Drop a comment below and share what you would add to this classic recipe! Then, check out our other tasty treats like Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits and 3 Ingredients White Chocolate Raspberry Truffles!
Step by Step
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Chef Gena’s Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 400 g bread flour
- 8 g instant yeat
- 8 g salt
- 28 g good olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 288 g water
Instructions
- Measure flour, salt, yeast and oil into mixing bowl, in that order.
- Attach dough hook and turn on to low speed.
- Stream water in as mixer is working. Raise mixer speed to low/medium.
- Mix for 4 minutes, or until sides of the bowl are clean, and dough is climbing the hook.
- Remove dough to well-oiled glass bowl, turning to cover completely in oil.
- Cover and place in draft-free area for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Stretch and fold to knock air out (see note above), cover and ferment another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread generous layer of olive oil onto Large Bar Pan (or equivalent)
- Turn dough on to bar pan, stretching and folding again into a rectangle. Dimple dough with fingertips; cover to rest for 15 minutes.
- Once dough isn't bouncing back, press out to fill pan, brush with oil, dimple again.
- Cover and proof until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.
- Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt.
- Bake at 450 degrees in lower third of oven, until deep golden brown on top and bottom, about 25-30 minutes. Interior temperature of bread should be 190 degrees.
- Allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
Because of the composition of focaccia, it stales quickly. If not used within 2 days, it should be frozen. Wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze. To use, remove from freezer about an hour before using, then refresh in a 350 oven or Air Fryer for 3-5 minutes
I had big plans to start baking during this quarantine….this was going to be my go to recipe for sandwiches…still need to try..having been making as many sandwiches as I thought! But I love being able to have opportunities for new recipes!!
Thanks for stopping by, Lori! Good news for you is that this quarantine isn’t going away, so you still have plenty of time to try it 😉
PS – It’s AWESOME as pizza dough if you want to try it for that instead of sammies!
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks for stopping by, Christy! I hope you love it!
I can’t wait to make this tomorrow! I’ve been wanting to make it since you posted it. It’ll make a perfect pork loin sandwich.
Ooooh, that sounds heavenly! I may have to give that a shot myself! Thanks for the great idea!