A few summers ago, I bumped into Richard Bourdon at Berkshire Mountain Bakery. During our brief chat, he told me, among other things, he would never write a cookbook because he’s always changing his methods. I was shocked to hear this because I would have thought that after 30+ years of running his renowned bakery, he would know all there is to know about bread baking, that his formula would require zero tinkering, and that he and all of his staff could churn out the acclaimed BMB breads in their sleep.
But it was refreshing and reassuring to hear this, too, because I’m constantly changing how I make things, and I don’t know that I’ll ever stop. For the past few months, I’ve been making the base focaccia recipe from Bread Toast Crumbs, but trying different things: using more yeast, using less yeast, doing longer, slower rises at room temperature, doing longer, slower rises in the refrigerator.
I’ll spare you all the details of the various experiments and skip straight to what I’ve found creates the best focaccia, one that emerges golden all around, looking like a brain, its surface woven with a winding labyrinth of deep crevices: refrigerated dough. This is nothing novel—many bakers extol the virtues of the cold fermentation process—and it came as no surprise to me either: it was, after all, past-prime Jim Lahey refrigerated dough that showed me how easy focaccia could be: place cold, several-days-old pizza dough in a well-oiled pan, let it rise for several hours or until it doubles, drizzle with more oil, dimple with your fingers, sprinkle with sea salt, then bake until done.
Employing a refrigerator rise takes time because the cold environment slows everything down initially, and during the second rise, the cold dough takes time to warm to room temperature. The overall effort, however, is very hands off, and the result is worth it. In sum, I’ve found:
- Allowing the dough to rest 18 to 24 hours in the fridge yields the best results.
- The amount of yeast doesn’t really matter.
- A buttered or parchment-lined pan in addition to the olive oil will prevent sticking.
- Count on 2 to 4 hours for the second rise.
- After the second rise, dimple the dough, then immediately stick the pans in the oven — this has been a critical difference for me in terms of keeping those desirable crevices. If you dimple and let the dough rise again even for 20 minutes before popping the pan in the oven, the crevices begin to dissolve. Note: The bread still tastes delicious without all of those crevices, but there’s something appetizing about the brain-like appearance … or is that just me?
Friends, if any of you are on Instagram, I have a step-by-step video highlighted in stories, which might provide some guidance. If not, I hope the photo play-by-play below will offer the same instruction. As always, I am here if you have questions.
A familiar scene: 4 cups (512 g) flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons instant yeast:
Add 2 cups lukewarm water:
Mix dough:
Cover bowl. You all have one of these, right? Stick bowl in the fridge immediately; leave it there to rise for 12 to 18 hours (or longer—I’ve left it there for two days).
Remove from fridge, and remove cover:
Deflate dough:
Butter or line with parchment paper two 8- or 9-inch pie plates or something similar; then pour a tablespoon of olive oil into each. (The butter/parchment will ensure the bread doesn’t stick.) Divide the dough in half and place each half into the prepare pans. Use your hands to turn the dough in the oil, creating a rough ball. Don’t touch the dough again for 2 to 4 hours depending on your environment.
When the dough looks like this…
…pour another tablespoon of olive oil over each round, and using your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, such as Maldon.
Transfer to oven immediately and bake at 425ºF for 25 minutes or until golden all around.
Focaccia brain.
Remove focaccia from pans and place on cooling racks.
My favorite thing to do with these rounds of focaccia (besides serving them with olive oil and dukkah) is to make a slab sandwich. In the video below, the fillings include: mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, and olive oil. Truth be told, the mozzarella brought little to the table here. Butter, as in Gabrielle Hamilton’s three fats sandwich, would have been better.
Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia
Print Recipe
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Adapted from the focaccia and pissaladière recipes in Bread Toast Crumbs.
A few notes:
As always, for best results, use a digital scale to measure the flour.
I love SAF instant yeast. I buy it in bulk, transfer it to a quart storage container, and store it in my fridge for months. You can store it in the freezer also.
Plan ahead: While you certainly could make this more quickly, it turns out especially well if you mix the dough the day before you plan on baking it. The second rise, too, takes 2 to 4 hours.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water, made by combining 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/2 cups cold water
- butter for greasing
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours.
- Line two 8- or 9-inch pie plates (or something similar) with parchment paper or grease with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Pour a tablespoon of oil into the center of each pan. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Use the forks to split the dough into two equal pieces. Place one piece into one of the prepared pans. Roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Repeat with the remaining piece. Let the dough balls rest for 2 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F. Pour another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. Rub your hands lightly in the oil to coat, then, using all of your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples. If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt all over.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the focaccia to cooling racks. Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving; let it cool completely if you are halving it with the intention of making a sandwich.
Cindy says
This is such a good recipe and believe me because I screwed it up twice. Third time is a charm. I’m getting used to a new oven which takes a long time to preheat. I started dimpling and the oven wasn’t ready, so I got concerned about the instructions to not let the dough sit too long after dimpling, so I kept dimpling, oven still not ready, more dimpling. I got impatient so I put it in the oven before the preheat was done. Then, to make matters worse (because I’m all in at this point), I over baked it looking for that dark color on top. The result was a hard thin dough. My husband loved it but I got tired of chewing. Second time, I was cautious. I preheated all the way. And, dimpled VERY lightly and baked until just lightly browned. I ended up with a billowing pillow that wasn’t quite crisp. A few minutes to re-heat did the crispy trick but it was still very thick. Forward to today’s result, which turned out perfect. I confidently dimpled JUST enough and baked until nicely browned (never did turn out as brown as the pics) and it was incredible.
By the way, get the GIR spatula, it’s the best spatula ever. But, some colors are more expensive than others. Unless you love her teal color, get a cheaper color like black or gray. Thanks Ali!
Yiayia says
I LOVE this recipe. I make it 2 ways: exactly as you suggest and also in a 1/4 sheet pan which I especially love because it produces a bread with even more holes. Probably for sandwiches the round loaves are a little better because thicker and easier to slice, but the 1/4 sheetpan breads are crispier and also easier to remove from the pan. Either way, the bread is so delicious. I will often mix the dough in the late afternoon or after dinner and then refrigerate it until ready to use. It’s fine to let it sot for two days. I like to cover the bo with a cloth and a plate in the fridge and not plastic wrap which can create off tastes. But first rate dough andfun and impressive to make.
Heidi says
Hi,
Can I add other flavorings to this? Thinking garlic and rosemary. When and were if I can. Thanks!
PATRICIA GARCIA says
chop garlic and rosemary very fine; sprinkle on after you brush with oil, before you start dimpling it. I have an Italian friend who always does this
alexandra says
Yum!
Rachel says
Hi! I’m a new fan to your website – although have realized I’ve been loving your Food52 recipes for awhile. I had done your earlier version of this recipe (with bread flour I believe, a sheet pan, and I think different temperature instructions), but tried this one today. I found with the sheet pan the bottom got a little overly crisped before time was up, but with the pie plates I had the opposite issue – having to leave it in for closer to 40 minutes. The bread looks great today – I’m excited to dive in. Do you think this is just because of the pie plate being pyrex? Or perhaps because there seemed to be a bit more oil lingering when I used the pie plates?
alexandra says
Hi Rachel! So sorry for the delay here. Thanks for the kind words.
So, yes — the more I bake and cook, the more I realize how the material and size of the pan makes such a difference. So, for the sheet pan, the dough was probably more spread out, right? I think a thinner dough will crisp up on both the top and bottom more quickly than a thicker dough, plus the sheet pan was probably aluminum or stainless steel, right? I don’t know the science of it all, but I think these types of pans (perhaps because they conduct heat more quickly?) encourage browning. That said, I find I’ve made this focaccia in Pyrex pie plates, metal pie plates, and an Emilie Henry Pie plate that has one of those stone/earthenware bottoms, and each pan takes about the same amount of time. So, I don’t know what the answer is??
You were smart to keep the bread in the oven until it looked golden all around, because that’s a great visual sign that the bread is done.
Does your oven generally work well? Are there hot spots? I mean, every oven has hot spots, but I’ve cooked in some ovens in friends’ apts this past year, and I found the bread often browned on top first, and I had to reduce the temperature and cook everything longer to ensure the breads cooked through.
Stefan says
I just began to make this dough, but unfortunately it is very very sticky.
I used 520gr flour and 470ml lukewarm water. Because it was so sticky I added some more flour, but it’s still sticky.
Is my conversion of 2 cups of water to 470ml wrong?
Best regards
Stefan
alexandra says
Hi Stefan,
Sorry for the delay here! The dough definitely is wet and sticky — not meant to be handled or kneaded. 2 cups of water is about 470 ml, so you’re not off there. Did you end up going through with the recipe?
Stefan says
Hello Alexandra,
although my dough was a bit more sticky than yours it went out great. Easy recipe and great result.
I did one bread simply with fleur de sel and the other bread additional with black and green olives.
Thank you for the recipe and greetings from Germany.
Stefan
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Stefan. Olives sound so yummy. And greetings!!
Deb says
Is this only really delicious on the day it’s baked, or would it still be great the next day?
alexandra says
It’s especially good the day it is baked, but it’s still really good the next day, too. I would heat it up on day 2 and beyond for sure, however.
Nilda Incatasciato says
Just want to let you know that I made your Peasant Bread for Easter and it was a hit! So easy and delicious. Thank you!
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Nilda!
Honeybee says
I made this last week and the whole family loved it! We ate the first loaf with labneh and beet salad and the second one was used for sandwiches, which were a huge hit with the kids! Both loaves turned out dome-shaped, however. It didn’t affect the taste at all, but any idea why this happens? Dome or not, we will be making this time and again!
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Honeybee! Your beet salad an labneh sandwiches is making me hungry … YUM!
Question: what kind of vessels were you using to bake the focaccia?
Honeybee says
A cake pan the size you indicated, the kind with a removable bottom.
alexandra says
It’s possible that the material of the pan had something to do with it, but I don’t know enough science to say so for sure. When you dimpled the dough down with your fingers, did the impressions hold? And did you stick the pan in the oven immediately after making those impressions?
Honeybee says
No, they didn’t hold and yes, I did bake the focaccia immediately. Nevermind the dome, though. This recipe is a keeper!
alexandra says
Ok, great, thanks Honeybee!
Susie says
I love this bread! Would like to make for my gluten free friends. Besides GR flour are there any other changes to the recipe?
Thank you.
Susie
alexandra says
Hi Susie! GF baking is so tricky. I would check out this post before you embark … the recipe will need a little more tweaking. I don’t think an overnight rise will be that beneficial either, because there is no gluten development here. I would follow the recipe in the post I linked to, but instead of baking it in bowls, bake it in oiled pie plates or something similar. Hope this helps.
Lisa says
Hi Alexandra,
Quick question, do you think this would work with bread flour? I seem to have a lot on hand at the moment and wondered what you thought the result would be?
alexandra says
Yes, absolutely! Go for it.
Abbygail says
Hi, is it possible to not separate it into 2 balls and just bake it in one sheet pan?
alexandra says
Yes, definitely! Go for it.
rspaasweii says
for the second rise, you say 2-4 hours depending on the temperature of the room. But for that instruction to work, don’t we need either a description of the dough at its fully risen state: double the volume?
Thank you.
alexandra says
Hi, yes, double is a good, rough visual cue. There’s a photo above that might offer some guidance, too. You can see from the photo before it how much it has grown to fill the space. Hope that helps.
rspaasweii says
sorry…bad editing. I meant simply a description of the dough such as doubled volume. “either” shouldn’t have been there.
Robin Chesser says
I have the focaccia in the oven right now, I topped one with Trader Joe’s everything bagel topping, cake he apartment smells glorious!
Robin Chesser says
Oops that should have been the apartment smells glorious
Alyce says
Hi Alexandra,
What is the actual temperature of lukewarm water? This isn’t the first recipe to call for boiled + cold water, but if I’m heating the water in the microwave, what temp should I look for?
Thanks for sharing your lovely recipes!
Alyce
YIayia says
The overnight focaccia is beautifully textured and the Maldon salt adds immeasurably. I’ve made it several times now, twice for dinner parties, and everyone raved and wanted the recipe! I love using a quarter sheet pan, which makes a particularly bubbly bread, if your readers like that texture. It toasts beautifully, too, the next day. I was thinking about Stefan’s question from Germany–likely the flour, humidity, yeast and water all differ, thus creating a particularly sticky dough. If he reduces the water by a tablespoon or two, maybe he’ll strike the right formula.
Alice says
H E A V E N L Y!!! Just heavenly!
I’ve been baking from your book for a few months now and have never been disappointed. You’ve taken me from someone who would not allow a packet of yeast in her home to baking bread multiple times a week. Thank you so much for sharing your gift of bread baking!
alexandra says
Oh ALICE!!! This makes me so happy. Thanks for writing, and thank you for your kind words 🙂 🙂 🙂
Kelly says
Hi! I’m trying this recipe for the first time. I just made the dough, but I think I may have messed up already. I didn’t whisk the flour, yeast and salt together before I put the water in. Is it going to ruin the dough?