High Hydration Focaccia

Name: High Hydration Focaccia
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Type 1 flour 3 ¼ cups; Water (cold) 1.3 cups; Fine salt 1 ½ tsp; Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp; Fresh brewer's yeast 0.25 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Salt to taste; Corn flour to taste

it de fr es br

304

Calories per serving

Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Energy Kcal 304
Carbohydrates g 55.8
of which sugars g 1.4
Protein g 8.4
Fats g 5.3
of which saturated fat g 1.22
Fiber g 2.6
Sodium mg 855

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 6
Cost: Low
Note plus the maturation times (about 13 hours)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Cooker Girl

High hydration focaccia is the kind of bread that stops people in their tracks when you pull it from the oven—golden, bubbly, and so tender inside you might wonder how it’s even possible without a fancy mixer. And you know, in Liguria, folks have been making this classic for generations. It shows that an easy focaccia recipe can come together at home with just a regular electric mixer and a bit of patience. I mean, the dough gets sticky—that’s just how it is with high hydration focaccia—but don’t stress. With some proper resting and folding, everything works out, and you’ll end up with focaccia that’s light, airy and has that crispy crust everyone goes for. Seriously good.

There’s something really fun about seeing those big air pockets inside, especially knowing you made it yourself using real Italian bread-making traditions. Plus, this isn’t just some plain bread. True Ligurian focaccia soaks up a generous glug of olive oil, giving you that flavor that sets it apart from other focaccia bread you might see elsewhere. And look, experimenting with a no-knead focaccia at home is a fantastic way to dive into bread baking without needing special tools or complicated steps. Even with the dough feeling a bit challenging at first, it pays off big time once you taste that slightly moist, open crumb. People in Liguria keep it simple—sometimes it’s just sea salt and olive oil, but this bread goes with all sorts of stuff.

Top it with sweet tomatoes, sliced cheeses, or a bit of prosciutto, and you’ll see why it’s a staple at the table. No question. The cool thing is, even if you mess up a little, homemade focaccia still comes out pretty impressive thanks to its forgiving process. That’s the charm of a traditional Italian bread recipe—it lets you try your own twists without giving up those classic and chewy textures. For real, high hydration focaccia isn’t just for special occasions; it’s the sort of bread you can make any weekend and feel really really good about eating warm from the oven.

INGREDIENTS

304

Calories per serving

Ingredients for a 15x10 inch baking pan: Type 1 flour 3 ¼ cups (400 g); Water 1.3 cups (320 g) - (cold); Fine salt 1 ½ tsp (8 g); Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp (15 g); Fresh brewer's yeast 0.25 oz (6 g)

For the surface: Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Salt to taste

For dusting: Corn flour to taste

Preparation

How to prepare High Hydration Focaccia

To prepare the high hydration focaccia, start by sifting the flour 1 to aerate it, add about 9.5 oz of water 2 (the hydration is at 80%) and quickly knead with your hands 3. Don't worry if the dough isn't smooth; you’ll need to work the mixture until the water is absorbed, resulting in a rough and sticky dough.

Cover with plastic wrap 4 and let it rest for an hour at room temperature. After this time, the gluten will have developed, and the dough will be elastic. Now pour the remaining water into a small bowl, add the crumbled fresh yeast 5, and stir well to dissolve it 6.

Start working the dough with an electric mixer fitted with hooks at medium speed. Add a tiny amount of the water in which you dissolved the yeast 7 and continue working until it is absorbed 8. Proceed in this way, adding just a little at a time 9, almost drop by drop.

When you have finished the water and the dough is well incorporated, add the salt 10 and continue mixing until it is fully absorbed 11. Finally, add the oil in a thin stream 12. This phase of incorporating the ingredients takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once you finish the dough 13, detach it from the sides of the bowl and gather it in the center 14 15.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes 16. During this time, the dough will relax and become smoother. Then, give a turn of folds inside the bowl by lifting the dough 17 and flipping it forward 18, with slightly dampened hands.

Cover with plastic wrap 19 and let it rest for 40 minutes. Then give it another turn of folds, as done before 20. Cover with plastic wrap 21 and let it rise in the fridge for 12 hours or at room temperature for about two and a half hours.

The dough should rise until it triples in volume 22. At this point, grease a 15x10 inch baking pan, preferably dark, which conducts heat better, and sprinkle with cornmeal. Flip the dough onto a work surface sprinkled with cornmeal 34.

Stretch it with your fingertips 25 until it lengthens, trying to get a size similar to the pan. Lift it 26 and transfer it onto the baking pan 27.

Spread the dough to cover the entire surface 28. Add a little more oil on top 29 and the salt flakes 30.

At this point 31, bake in a preheated fan oven at 390°F for 35-40 minutes. Once it is well browned, take it out 32 and let it cool on a rack before serving 33.

Storage

We recommend consuming the focaccia right after it’s made. Alternatively, it can be stored in a paper bag for one day. Once cooled, it can be frozen, whole or in pieces.