James Bridges from Sourdough Geeks joins us in the Simply Bread kitchen with his irresistibly golden, crunchy, and fluffy rosemary focaccia bread. Get those pens and recipe journals ready because class is in session, and you're going to want to take notes. James offers up all of his pro tips for making this bake the best ever!

Watch his instructional video here!

And if you love it as much as we do, share it on social and tag us! @simplybreadco

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WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Simply Bread Oven L12

Simply Bread Pans

Simply Bread Apron

Oven Mitts

Mixing Bowls

Measuring bowls

Baking Scale

10G Mixer

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RECIPE: (Yields 20x20 Focaccia)

INGREDIENTS

POOLISH:

• 100g of ABC+ Flour
• 100g Warm Water
• 0.5g Instant Dry Yeast

DOUGH:

• 640g Caputo “00” Flour
• 448g of Water
• 256g Poolish
• 16g Salt
• 16g Olive Oil

TOPPINGS:

• 200g Cherry Tomatoes
• Bushel of Rosemary
• 6 -10g Flaky Sea Salt

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INSTRUCTIONS

POOLISH: (Off Camera Prep)

1. Combine ABC+ flour, warm water, and instant dry yeast. Mix until smooth.
2. Ferment 12-16 hours, then retard as necessary until use.

DOUGH:

3. Bassinage Mix: First, add only 380g water, 256g poolish, and 640g flour to the mixer. Mix on low for 2-3 minutes until the flour is completely hydrated. Scrape the sides as needed. There should not be any dry spots. If needed, add a little water until there are no dry spots. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
4. Second Mix: Add salt and mix on medium to high speed until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixing bowl and begins to form a "pumpkin" shape. The temperature of the dough should be under 80°F/26°C, around 75°F/23°C - 76°F/24°C.
5. Third Mix: Now add the olive oil once your dough has started to pull away from the side of the bowl. Once it is fully incorporated, try the windowpane test. You should be able to stretch the dough between your fingers until it’s translucent without tearing. Then add 17g of water and mix until fully absorbed.
6. Transfer Dough: Transfer your dough into a large, oiled tub and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Coil Fold: After allowing the dough to rest, perform a coil fold by grabbing the middle underneath the dough, pulling it up towards yourself, and folding it forward over itself until it is fully coiled. Stretch the dough lengthwise and turn it 90 degrees so you can perform a second coil fold. Then let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
8. Cold Bulk Fermentation: Once the dough has rested, place it in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
9. First Stretch/Proof: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and plop it onto a 20x20 oiled baking pan. Gently tease the dough out towards the edges of the pan—it should fill about 50% of the pan. Allow it to proof in the pan for 45 minutes.
10. Second Stretch/Proof: After proofing, gently stretch the dough for a second time until it fills most of the sheet pan. Let the dough proof for another 45-60 minutes.
11. Third Stretch/Proof: For the final stretch, gently stretch the dough towards the edges of the pan until it reaches the sides. Allow the dough to proof for one final round, about 60 minutes, until it appears bubbly.
12. Dimple Dough: Drizzle olive oil over your proofed dough, then dimple it by pressing your fingertips into the dough across the entire pan.
13. Toppings: Top the dimpled dough with rosemary, halved cherry tomatoes, and flaky sea salt.

14. Bake Focaccia: Bake at 450°F/232°C for 30-35 minutes until the focaccia is golden brown. Once cool enough to handle, remove the focaccia to a cooling rack so the crispy bottom can set. Once set, it’s time to enjoy!