Simple same-day Sourdough Focaccia

Retired and spend quality creative time in the kitchen. We stick to chicken, turkey, seafood and vegetarian dishes. My biggest vice would be dark chocolate! Favourite food - Mud Crab; Favourite fruit - Mango; Favourite vegetable - sugar snap peas. Bon Appetit from Down Under

I prefer this bread made with sourdough because of it’s digestive elements and lively nature, but it can be done with yeast if you don’t have an active starter. I was taught to make this specific recipe by Carla from Jovial Foods in Italy and am ever thankful she sent me home with a small piece of her old, well-proven starter. If you don’t have einkorn flour, use the flour of your choice, but einkorn will give you the best result. Bust out your digital scale for this one and your bread will instantly improve ten-fold.

Servings: 1 x 33 mm x 19 mm tray

subheading: For the pre-ferment:

45g active sourdough starter (or small pinch active dry yeast)

200g warm water

180g all-purpose einkorn flour

subheading: For the bread:

375g warm water

90g extra virgin olive oil

720g all-purpose einkorn flour

3 teaspoons sea salt, divided

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix together the pre-ferment ingredients in a small bowl and use a fork to combine them until creamy and smooth.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm location for a few hours.

2. When the pre-ferment has begun to bubble and show life, combine it in a large bowl, water, and olive oil. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients well.

3. Add in the additional flour and the sea salt and combine with a wooden spoon until you’re left with a shaggy, wet dough. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.

4. (OPTIONAL) Dust a cutting board (untreated marble works best) with additional flour and turn the dough out onto the board. Use a dough scraper to fold the dough over itself a few times. This will strengthen the einkorn’s weak gluten and smooth the dough.

5. Transfer the smooth dough back into the dough bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside for 3 to 5 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C.

7. While the oven is preheating, oil a baking tray. Using a stiff spatula, transfer the wet, soft dough from the bowl into the skillet. Gently oil your fingers with olive oil and begin to press the dough with your fingertips to spread it evenly around the skillet. Create small holes into the dough with your fingertips, never allowing them to poke all the way through.

8. Lastly, drizzle the top of the bread with olive oil and water.

9. Cover the bread and allow it to rise for one hour while your oven preheats and gets nice and hot.

10. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden. Allow to cool to room temperature before devouring (if you can stand it!).

Tip: I usually mix the pre-ferment after washing dinner dishes. Then, right before bed, I mix together the bread, allowing it to rise overnight while I sleep. I place it in a cool location so that it doesn’t rise too quickly. In the morning, I wake up, preheat the oven, and shape the bread. This allows us to eat the bread fresh for breakfast and nibble on any leftovers throughout the day.

Night before

Mix pre ferment and autolyse overnight

(0900)

Combine ingredients, cover and rest 9:30

30 mins (10:00)

S&F or Slap & fold (10:30)

Rest 30 mins (11:00)

S&F

Cover and rest 3 to 6 hours (11:30)

Preheat oven (1730)

Put dough into baking tray (17:30)

Rise for 1 hour (18:30)

Bake 30 minutes (done by 1900)

Servings: 1 x 33 mm x 19 mm tray

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