Use This Secret to Make Perfect Focaccia Dough

Sourdough focaccia is one of the easiest-and most delicious-breads you can make in the home kitchen. But what if you could make it *softer*? This naturally leavened sourdough Focaccia Pugliese takes things a step further by incorporating potato into the dough for even more tenderness, softness, and, well, deliciousness. Top with crushed tomato or just olive oil and sea salt.
➡️RECIPE: www.theperfectloaf.com/focacc...
🍞INGREDIENTS:
469g High-protein white flour (12.7% protein; King Arthur Bread Flour)
132g Durum flour "extra fancy" (or more white flour or whole wheat)
198g russet potato
33g extra-virgin olive oil
483g Water
13g Fine sea salt
12g Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration (used to make a 130g levain w/ 59g white flour, 59g water; as seen in the video; or just use 130g of your starter directly)
LINKS
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🫙 EQUIPMENT
10" Round Lloyd Pans for focaccia(affiliate):
amzn.to/3Mozqg2
All my favorite baking tools:
www.theperfectloaf.com/my-bak...
CHAPTERS
-------------------------
00:00 Intro
01:24 Ingredients
02:59 Levain (or Starter)
03:54 Prepare (Bake, Peel, Rice) Potatoes
05:02 Mix
08:18 Bulk Fermentation (S&F 1)
09:11 Bulk Fermentation (S&F 2)
09:48 Divide Dough
11:51 Proof (Stretch dough)
12:19 Prepare Toppings (Tomato or Classic)
13:31 When Is Dough Ready to Bake? (End Proof)
14:24 Dimple First Dough
15:22 Spread Tomato Topping
15:55 Dimple and Prepare 2nd Focaccia
16:35 Bake
16:49 Finished Baking
18:07 Flavor Discussion & Bite
18:45 Outro
#baking #bread #focaccia
Happy baking 🙂

[@lisabres1]

My Gramma immigrated from Valguarnera Caropepe at the turn of the last century. She married a man from Bari. What you’ve created is an exact replica of her pizza. All I can say, with the deepest gratitude is, “Bellisima”!

[@theperfectloaf]

Oh gosh thanks so much! Bari is right next to where my family is from in Ceglie-and that was my exact intention with this! thank you 🙂

[@mattspyro]

amazing! been following your blog for years now. keep of the great content!

[@theperfectloaf]

Thank you, Matt!

[@micheljodoin531]

Very well made informative video ! Thank you !!

[@theperfectloaf]

Thank you Michel!

[@jeanelles]

I absolutely have to try this

[@theperfectloaf]

It's soooo good. You'll love it 🙂

[@mandyc1280]

Will be making this asap!!

[@theperfectloaf]

it's so good! Let me know how you like it 🙂

[@sgk1234]

looks delicious 👌👌👌👌👌 thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@theperfectloaf]

this really is! Happy to help 🙂

[@nuda0]

Amazing ❤

[@theperfectloaf]

Grazie 🙂

[@eugeniacoelho1826]

Your channel is incredible 😊😊

[@theperfectloaf]

ty 🙂

[@couldbecooking]

Focaccia is always a winner! 😊

[@theperfectloaf]

Agreed 100%!

[@fraktalv]

What a channel! Thank you so much!

[@theperfectloaf]

thank you 🙂 happy baking!

[@khalidabdullah268]

♨️♨️ Excellent, thank you ♨️♨️

[@theperfectloaf]

You’re welcome 😊

[@travelswithdebbierandy]

Great explanation

[@theperfectloaf]

Glad it was helpful!

[@peppeckish]

Maurizio, thank you so so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. Super grateful. I can’t wait to make This and your other delicious delights. Also I have ordered your book and I’m super excited! Bring on 2024 full of non stop baking 🥖 🍕 🍞. Grazie mille, Giuseppe 🙏🤜🤛

[@theperfectloaf]

You are very welcome and thank you for picking up my cookbook!

[@MsCalliopeK]

Love your recipes so so much! I've been baking your Simple Focaccia for the past 4 months and it's an absolute favorite of my family's. I'll try this next for sure :) thanks so much for the detailed instructions. ps: I'm also waiting for the scoring article you had promised a while back

[@theperfectloaf]

Thank you! I hope you like this one too, it's just so, so good. That's still in progress-working to get it done!

[@annabell1628]

Making this today 🤩 although my durum flour is not "extra fancy" so I'm not sure how it will impact final result. Love all your recipes and can't wait for my book to arrive in Nov.

[@theperfectloaf]

Should turn out just fine, Anna! I hope you love the book and enjoy!!

[@nitasaigal]

Hiii CHEFF..Imade this Focaccia bread n it came out so well..thanks fr the awesome recipe will post piks on insta n tag u. I didn't understand durum flour so made with all qhote flour 😀 Thanks again

[@theperfectloaf]

Amazing, so glad to hear it worked out well for ya!! This is definitely a fav 🙂 Enjoy!

[@gpwgmac]

If you were mixing by hand, would you add the olive oil at first with the other ingredients? I'm wondering if you could ever list the directions for manual mixing as an alternative to using the mixer. Great videos!

[@theperfectloaf]

Hey, Garry! I'll have some videos here with hand mixing very soon--stay tuned 🙂 I would hold back the olive oil and mix by hand until the dough is smooth, elastic, and stronger, then squish it in. If the dough is too dry to mix without the oil, add a little in, but hold back as much as you can until the dough is a little stronger (oil will make strengthening the dough and developing the gluten harder).

[@bettypena2968]

Por favor colocar en el vídeo la traducción en español. Gracias

[@iraeich]

Do you have place where the recioe can be printed out? Or at lieast a list of ingredients?

[@theperfectloaf]

www.theperfectloaf.com/focacc...

[@iraeich]

Never mind I found your web site.

[@Dr.Sciatica]

Potato should be pressed through ricer when is still hot and mixed with warm water. Otherwise it stays in small pieces and not well incorporated in dough. Or at least pressed warm direct in dough.

[@theperfectloaf]

Great tips, though I find the potato completely disappears in my dough after it's been thoroughly riced.

[@Dr.Sciatica]

@@theperfectloaf That is good, for the people that are not using machines i would suggest to premix hot riced potato in warm water and wait a bit to cool down. Its good to use older starchy potatoes.. similar than for gnocci or other potato dough.

[@travelswithdebbierandy]

Can you use this focaccia for pizza dough too?

[@theperfectloaf]

I wouldn't-it's very wet and loose dough. If you did want to do this, you'd need to reduce the dough hydration to make it more workable for pizza!

[@Sridarsh]

Hey man, i was planning to do a poolosj for my focaccia as i wont be home for two days ish, and i can't make a whole dough to put in the fridge cuz i dont got space. Ive been looking for poolish recipies and istg, ive seen from (yeast % of total poolish maas) 1% to .5% to .16% to .1% to .01% of yeast. Man 😅. As i do plan to keep my poolish in the chiller for two days, what would your recommendation be sirm

[@theperfectloaf]

That sounds about right, I'd go with .5% IY.

[@Sridarsh]

@@theperfectloaf Thanks, that's what I did, focaccia cooking as we speak. Why do you think such differences exist? Normally one can find a pretty standardized ingredient list for something. Maybe it depends on the time and what's being cooked?

[@travelswithdebbierandy]

What Brandi’s your oven/cook top?

[@theperfectloaf]

both are Thermador (Bosch)

[@travelswithdebbierandy]

Thanks

[@travelswithdebbierandy]

Does it have break proofing and dehydration setting?

[@theperfectloaf]

@@travelswithdebbierandy it does have both, though the proof setting is a bit high... I believe around 100F.

[@morokiya55]

Can we steam unpeeled potatoes instead of baking? Thank you.

[@theperfectloaf]

Yes, that'll work. I've never tried this, and I do worry the potatoes might absorb some of the steam/hydration, so I would reduce the water in the main dough by a bit to compensate (how much, I'd have to test! I'd start with 50g).

[@morokiya55]

@@theperfectloaf Thank you. I will tryout your advice.

[@travelswithdebbierandy]

When I made it today, it’s very wet. I add white flour and mix into it. Put it in my pan. Why is it so wet and soppy after 2.5 hours of bulking?

[@theperfectloaf]

it's all relative to your flour. the dough is definitely wet for this focaccia, but if it feels soupy or extremely sticky and loose, hold back some of the water used in mixing to adjust the hydration.

[@pattikanoh2353]

Can I retard this dough so that I can bake the next day and have for lunch? If so when do I do this? Thank you

[@theperfectloaf]

absolutely. I mention it in the post over at my website (recipe link is in the description), after dividing the dough into pans, id cover and place in the fridge. next day, take out in the AM and proof on the counter until ready to bake (might be around 3-4 hrs, temp depending).