Focaccia is one of my all-time favourites.

But there are times when I crave it and I do not want to wait a whole day or night for the preferment to be ready. That is why I made this recipe. The quickest and best ‘quick focaccia’ ever. For all my lazy bakers out there. This is a decently sized focaccia, enough for 4 people at a push. Or two very hungry ones. If you would like to make a larger batch then just multiply the amount of ingredients.

For more focaccia recipes made with sourdough starters and preferments check out the relevant pages in the top menu. Those breads will have a more distinct flavour and a thicker crust. So, I have all areas covered for you. Happy baking!

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

250g (8.8oz) strong white bread flour

5g (0.17oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) dry yeast or 3x the amount of fresh yeast

50g (1.75oz) olive oil

185g (6.5oz) water at around 20C (68F) if your kitchen is around 22C (71F).

To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the toppings –

Smoked cheddar cubes

Smoked ham cubes

Diced tomato

Oregano

Olive oil

Sea salt

Of course, you can top your focaccia with whatever you like. This is what I had in the fridge that day and that is why I used it.

Method

1. Autolyse by mixing all but a couple tablespoons of the water with all of the flour until you don’t see any more dry flour. Sprinkle over the salt, dimple it in slightly with a wet hand.
2. Cover & let it hydrate for 1 hour.
3. Mix the remaining water with the yeast & add to the dough. Mix well.
4. Tip it out on your table & knead using the stretch & fold method for around 10 minutes. Or use a mixer with a dough hook on medium speed for around 4 minutes. Desired dough temperature 24 – 25C (75-77F).
5. Pour the 50g (1.75oz) of olive oil in your bowl & place the dough right into it. Give it a couple of folds.
6. Ferment the dough for a total of 75 – 90 minutes folding it at 15-minute intervals to incorporate the oil into it. If your dough is fermenting rapidly, then cut the fermentation time, but give it the same number of folds at shorter intervals. If it is fermenting slowly, then just ferment it for longer without adjusting the folds. The main purpose here is to incorporate all the oil in the dough until it is ready for final proof.
7. After the last fold place the dough on to a piece of parchment paper.
8. Ferment the dough for 30 minutes or until puffed up and bubbly. During this time preheat your oven to 220C (430F) fan off. Also preheat your baking vessel if using. I use a 23cm (9in) round cast iron skillet.
9. Cover with the toppings & press them in.
10. Bake for around 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown all over.

Enjoy your quick and easy focaccia!