Simple Focaccia...

So this is one of our favourites, and everyone that tries this has liked it... honestly! This bread can be made with or without olives, depending on your preference, or why not go completely crazy and some other additions to it instead? This bread is made in stages with a preferment before hand.

Ingredients - Preferment
0.100 kg Strong White Flour
0.065 kg Water
0.003 kg Dried Yeast

Mix the above ingredients together into a dough and leave to ferment for 8 - 12 hours before use. This allows the yeast time to multiply and develops the gluten at the same time. The dough may appear sticky due to there being no salt in the recipe, but don't worry. The salt will be added with the main dough.

Ingredients - Final Dough
0.500 kg Strong White Flour
0.012 kg Salt
0.300 kg Water
0.050 kg Olive Oil
0.168 kg Preferment (See above)

Additional Ingredients - Personal Preference
0.160 kg Black Olives (If required)
Rosemary - Finishing prior to baking
Sea Salt Flakes - Finishing after baking

Process

1. Mix all of the ingredients including the preferment until a dough is formed. Tip; This dough will be soft so you may want to hold back some of the water until the dough is formed and then gradually add the remaining water in during the later part of mixing.
2. If you are adding olives or other ingredients, add these to the dough and mix through until incorporated evenly.
3. Bulk Ferment the dough (rest) for 1 hour in a container with a lid to prevent it from skinning. 
4. Give the dough a fold and then rest for another 1 hour in the container. Tip; Using olive oil to grease the container helps remove the dough and prevents it from sticking.
5. After it has had is fermentation time, scale the dough at the required weight. Generally we scale our focaccia at 500g but we also thinks its interesting to make mini versions at 250g.
6. Shape the dough lightly into a round ball, and place on non-stick baking paper for their final prove.
7. Set your oven to 220°c  and place your dutch oven in to ensure this is at the correct temperature when you are ready to bake. Tip; If you don't have a dutch oven you can also use a cast iron casserole dish. The aim of this is to keep steam around the dough during the first part of baking, which improves the final crust and oven spring. Alternatively, place a dish of water in the bottom of the oven which will also help.
8. Leave the dough for 45 minutes and then using olive oil and rosemary dip your fingers into the bread to achieve a dimpled affect. An example can be seen in the pictures below.
9. Once you have created your dimpled affect, leave the dough to rest for another 15 minutes.
10. When the oven is at the correct temperature, transfer your dough to the dutch oven and place the lid on top prior to baking. 
11. Bake at 220°c for 15 minutes and then remove the lid. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Tip; These times are based on a 250g focaccia. Oven and times vary depending on on what weight you scaled your bread at. Smaller and it will take less time to bake, larger loaves will take longer. Keep an eye on it so that you are happy with the overall crust colour and final bake.
12. As soon as you take it out of the oven, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
13. Enjoy!

Dough moulded round for final prove

Dough after dimpling

Baked bread brushed with olive oil

Nice open structure in the crumb