Focaccia genovese

Method

1. Dissolve 5 g of yeast and 7 g of malt syrup in 185 ml of lukewarm water. Add the flour and mix until it comes together, then add 8 g of salt and gradually work in 1½ tbsp olive oil. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
   TipYeast doughYeast is only human: cosy warmth gets it working, real heat finishes it off, and in the cold it just dawdles.Why and howShow less

   Why

   The yeast cells break down sugars from the flour into carbon dioxide and alcohol; the gas, trapped in the gluten network, inflates the dough, while the by-products give it flavour. They work best at roughly 25–35 °C, slow down in the cold without dying, and begin to die from about 50–55 °C, so milk that is too hot kills the yeast before the dough ever reaches the oven. Salt slows fermentation and strengthens the gluten; plenty of sugar draws water away from the yeast and plenty of fat coats it, so sweet, buttery yeast doughs take longer to rise. A longer, cooler rise, such as overnight in the fridge, gives the dough more flavour, whereas over-proofed dough runs out of strength, collapses and smells sour and boozy.

   How to do it

   1. Warm the milk or water only until lukewarm, about body temperature – it mustn't feel hot on your wrist.
   2. Stir fresh yeast with a little lukewarm liquid, a teaspoon of sugar and some flour, and let the starter get going.
   3. Mix the salt into the flour, not straight into the starter.
   4. Leave the dough to rise covered in a warm, draught-free spot until it has roughly doubled in size.
   5. Give sweet doughs rich in butter and sugar more time to rise, or add a little more yeast.
   6. Check the rise with a finger: the dent should spring back slowly; if it stays, the dough is over-proofed.

   If it goes wrong

   If the starter didn't bubble, the yeast was old or scalded – make a new one with fresh yeast. Dough that won't rise should go somewhere warmer (not directly on a radiator) and be given time. Knock back over-proofed dough briefly, shape it and let it rise again for a short while; it will be a little denser, but it will still bake.

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   TipKneading and glutenGluten is the dough's gym: give bread a proper workout, and let sponge cakes and pancakes put their feet up.Why and howShow less

   Why

   When wheat flour meets water, its proteins gliadin and glutenin link up into gluten, and kneading stretches and aligns these chains into a springy, extensible network. In bread and yeast doughs a strong network is exactly what you want: it traps the gas from fermentation, the dough rises and the crumb is springy. In shortcrust pastry, sponge cake, pancakes or muffins the same network does damage – the result is tough and rubbery, muffins develop tunnels and pastry shrinks in the oven. Fat coats the flour particles and sugar holds on to water, so both hold back gluten formation; that's why such mixtures are only briefly combined and small lumps are left in. Resting relaxes the gluten, so the dough then rolls out more easily and shrinks less.

   How to do it

   1. Knead bread dough by hand for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic and it stretches into a thin membrane without tearing.
   2. Stir pancake and muffin batters only briefly, until no dry flour remains – small lumps are fine.
   3. Bring shortcrust together quickly, with cold butter and cool hands, and simply press it into a ball.
   4. Fold the flour into a sponge mixture last and gently with a spatula, lifting from the bottom.
   5. If dough springs back as you roll it, cover it and let it rest for 10–20 minutes.

   If it goes wrong

   Wrap overworked pastry and chill it for at least half an hour: the gluten relaxes and the fat firms up, so it shrinks less in the oven, though it will be a little tougher. Let overmixed pancake batter rest for 15–30 minutes before cooking; that will at least ease the toughness. A tough baked sponge or muffin can't be fixed – mix less next time.

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2. Round the dough, cover it and leave it to rise for 1 hour at room temperature. For a deeper flavour you can then let it mature in the fridge for 24 hours; let it come back to room temperature for an hour before the next step.
3. Grease a 30 × 40 cm tray with 2 tsp of olive oil, transfer the dough to it and gently stretch it into the corners with your fingers. If it springs back, let it rest for 10 minutes and continue; it must not tear.
4. Cover the dough and let it rise for 60 minutes at 28–30 °C, for example in a switched-off oven with the light on.
5. Whisk the salamoia: 75 ml of lukewarm water, 55 ml of olive oil and 6 g of salt. Press dimples close together into the dough with your fingertips almost down to the tray and pour the brine evenly over it so that it pools in the dimples.
6. Leave the focaccia to rise uncovered for another 90–120 minutes at 28–30 °C. Meanwhile heat the oven to 240 °C (top and bottom heat, no fan).
7. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 14–15 minutes until the top is golden and the base firm and golden; the dimples stay paler and soft.
   TipBaking bread and rollsBread needs steam and patience: steam at the start lets it rise, and waiting until it cools before slicing spares you a gummy crumb.Why and howShow less

   Why

   In the first minutes of baking the gas and steam in the dough expand with the heat and the loaf keeps rising; moisture in the oven keeps the surface soft and supple, so the crust does not set before the bread has risen, and the starch on the surface gelatinises, giving the crust shine and a deeper colour. According to King Arthur Baking, steam is needed only at the start, while the loaf is still rising, roughly the first 15–20 minutes; moisture throughout the bake gives a thick, rubbery crust. Inside, bread bakes until the starch has gelatinised and the proteins have set: America's Test Kitchen gives about 93–99 °C in the centre for lean breads and about 88–91 °C for breads with butter and eggs, but regards a sufficiently dark, well-baked crust as the more reliable sign. As the bread cools, steam keeps leaving the crumb and the gelatinised starch firms up, which is why a loaf cut hot is gummy and dense rye bread needs the longest time to cool.

   How to do it

   1. Preheat the oven in good time, ideally with a baking sheet or cast-iron pot inside, and put the bread in only once it is fully hot.
   2. Score the loaf with a sharp knife just before baking; the cut decides where the bread expands, so it does not burst at random.
   3. Give the bread steam at the start: put a tray or dish of hot water on the oven floor, or bake the loaf under a lid for the first 20 minutes.
   4. After roughly 15–20 minutes, once the loaf stops rising, take out the water or lift off the lid so the crust dries and browns; beware of hot steam when you open the oven.
   5. Judge doneness by the colour of the crust, with a thermometer in the centre of the loaf; bake a pale loaf longer, even out of its tin for the last 10 minutes.
   6. Cool the bread on a rack, a loaf for at least 2 hours and dense rye bread longer; rolls cool faster.

   If it goes wrong

   If the bread is sticky and raw inside when cut, put it back in the oven for about 10–15 minutes at 180 °C and let it cool completely; an underbaked loaf finishes baking this way, while a crumb that was merely cut too hot will dry out a little. Finish a pale crust for a few minutes directly on the oven rack. A crust that is too hard softens if the bread cools wrapped in a tea towel. Sprinkle stale bread with water and put it in a hot oven for 5–10 minutes.

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8. Brush the hot focaccia with 2 tsp of olive oil straight away, move it to a wire rack and let it cool briefly. Cut into 6 rectangles; serve lukewarm or at room temperature.