I don't know when my obsession with focaccia started, or why I fell in love with it. What matters is that my fascination sent me on a two-month-long mission to develop the best overnight focaccia recipe. And on that mission, through testing and re-testing, I developed this bad boy right here. It has the most delicious crispy, crackly, salty crust with an unbelievably airy, fluffy and flavourful crumb. It's not cake-y or dense and it doesn't take a million days to develop, or hours of kneading on the counter. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and completely worth any fuss you might encounter. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Equipment

Here's everything you need to make my focaccia recipe:

1 6-quart round tub or large bowl
baker's scale
instant-read thermometer
9" x 13" aluminum baking pan
wire rack
Silpat baking mat or clean dish towel to cover the dough

Focaccia Tips

Use the best flour you can afford. I'm using all-purpose and whole-wheat flour in this recipe. Whenever I visit the grocery store, most of the time I reach for what's on sale. There's no shame in that! However, good-quality flour does make a difference in taste. When you can, opt for flour that is unbleached, stone-ground and has a minimal ingredients list.
Don't have whole-wheat flour? No problem! Although I highly encourage mixing the flours, this recipe can be made with 100% all-purpose flour.
Let it cool before cutting. Doing this on a wire rack will let the crust get extra crispy while the crumb stays soft and fluffy.
Serve it with...a quick drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Or, use it to make your favourite sandwich. There's nothing focaccia can't do, so be creative!

Proof of the Process

I know making bread can seem complicated. There's mixing, and folding and resting... But I promise you, it's not that serious. If I can do it, so can you. Here's a little visual help to make the whole thing seem a little less scary.

Your first mix is the most fun. I like to wet my hand in cold water before starting this process to help prevent the dough from sticking to my hand. Next, form a claw with your fingers and begin pinching the dough and rotating the bowl as you go. After a few rotations, switch to folding (more on that below!) Do this for about a minute. You'll know it's ready when a shaggy mass forms. It will look like this:

Time to fold! First, visualize the dough divided into four sections. Slide your hand under the first section and gently pull upwards, without tearing the dough. Fold the pulled section into the centre, then rotate the bowl to grab the next section. Repeat the process until you've completed eight folds. Flip the dough fold-side down and let it rest for another 10 minutes. Repeat the folding process once more. On the last fold, coat the bottom of the bowl in olive oil and lay the dough fold-side down in the centre. If should look something like this:

Let it rise. Cover the dough and let sit, undisturbed, for 8-10 hours at room temperature and away from sunlight. I like to place my dough in the living room, near my thermostat, so I can note the temperature. Your dough should triple in size and develop air bubbles. The dough will smell yeasty and should look like this:

You're almost there! Gently ease the dough out of the bowl, or tub, and into an oil-coated baking pan. Fold the dough two more times and place it crease-side down in the centre of the pan. Cover and let rest for one hour. After one hour, gently stretch the dough out to meet the edges of the pan. Coat your hands in a bit of olive oil and have a little fun making dimples in the dough. Cover and let rest for another hour. This is a great time to start preheating your oven!

Now it's time to bake! Bake the focaccia at 435°F, on the middle-low rack, for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire rack before serving. When it's done, it should look like this: