sky-high focaccia

• porcijos: One 18" x 13" focaccia
• bendras laikas: 24-36 hrs

Ingredientai

3 cups (720g) warm water

2-1/4 teaspoons (7g) active dry yeast

½ teaspoon (4g) honey

ó cups minus 1 tablespoon (800g) bread flour

2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon (20g) kosher salt

Scant 1/4 cup (46g) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for dough handling and the pan

Flaky salt, for sprinkling

Nurodymai

In a very large bowl, stir together 2-1/2 cups (600g) of the water, the yeast, and the honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, until frothy.

Use your hands or a large spoon to mix the flour into the yeast mixture until all the flour is incorporated. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ½ cup (120g) water, the kosher salt, and the oil. Use your hands to incorporate. As the dough albsorbs the salt, it will behave sort of strangely, seeming to fall apart - this is fine. Just keep kneading and Squeezing it with your hands - it'll come back together eventually, especially once it has a chance to rest.

Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set it in a warm spot to continue proofing. Every 30 minutes or so for the next 2-1/2 hours, turn the dough. (Note that each turn consists of four quarter-turns, or folds.) With wet hands, gently loosen the dough from the north side of the bowl. Stretch the dough up until it resists, then fold it toward the south side of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter- turn and repeat. Repeat twice more to end up where you started. Cover with the damp towel. During this first turn, the dough may not yet be relaxed enough to tolerate all four folds, but do your best. As the dough relaxes, it'll become more elastic, and each turn will be more gratifying!

After about 3 hours total, the dough should be billowy and have doubled in volume. If not, continue to let rise and turn for up to 1 hour longer, moving the bowl to a warmer spot if necessary. After the final set of folds, gather up the edges of the dough into the center as if you're making a massive dumpling, and then carefully flip it to tuck the seam underneath. Gently coat the top of the dough with a little oil, seal the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Generously coat the bottom and sides of a half-sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray, then drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil. Gently transfer the dough to the pan, cover with plastic Wrap or a lid, and set in a warm spot to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

With lightly oiled hands, gently stretch the dough to fill the pan, then drizzle with another 2 to 3 tablespoons oil. Return the pan to a warm spot and allow to proof for 30 minutes.

Gently stretch the dough again to fill the entire pan. Repeat the stretching twice more over the next hour, then continue proofing the dough untouched until it's jiggly, bubbly, and flush with the top of the pan, 1 to 2 hours longer, depending on the ambient temperature. (Don't rush this step--it will make all the difference in getting the tallest, chewiest focaccia possible!)

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place an overturned sheet pan on the rack, and preheat to 450°F.

Once the dough is flush with the top of the pan, dip the pads of your fingers in any oil that's pooled in the corners of the pan. Spread your fingers wide like a piano impresario and make dimples across the entire pan of dough, pressing firmly to the bottom of the pan (this is the fun part!). Sprinkle evenly with flaky salt. Place the sheet pan with the focaccia on the overturned sheet pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the corners are pulling away from the pan and the top is golden brown and glistening. If the top needs a little more browning, transfer to the top rack and bake for 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Cool the focaccia in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a thin flexible metal spatula to gently loosen it from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Store for up to 3 days wrapped in a paper bag inside of a plastic bag (this prevents the salt from dissolving). Bring back to life with a quick toast. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Pastabos

In warm weather, turns can be done every 20 minutes, and in colder weather, turns can take Up to 4O minutes.

Source: good things, by samin nosrat