This pesto focaccia is fluffy, with a golden crust and flavour-packed! It's an easy no knead focaccia bread recipe, topped with basil pesto and parmesan.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Deep 9x13 inch pan (23x33cm)
Instructions
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt (tot the side of the bowl) and water. Mix well with a spatula until you have a combined but shaggy dough.
OPTIONAL REFRIGERATED FERMENTATION:At this point, you can (optional) just cover the dough and chill overnight or up to 72 hours. This slow fermentation adds more complexity to the flavour and gives the air bubbles more even distribution. If you use this method, you can also skip the stretch and folds and just skip to the 2nd rise step.
FIRST RISE & STRETCH AND FOLDS (see notes too): Cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 1 hour and leave in a warm spot, doing a stretch and fold every 15 minutes. To stretch and fold, first imagine 4 sides to your dough (like north, south, east, west). Starting at north, lift the dough from underneath and fold it over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl 90° and do the same, then repeat that two more times. The dough will feel tougher the 2nd and 3rd times.Now, repeat that stretch and fold on the 4 sides 3 more times. Repeat this 3 sets of 4 stretch and folds every 15 minutes.
After the final stretch and fold, cover and let the dough sit for a final 15 minutes - it should puff up nicely to double it's initial size. In total the dough would have sat for 1 hour and 15 minutes with stretch and folds 4 times.
Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan forced) / 425F.
Add a little drizzle of oil to a deep 23x33cm /9x13 inch baking pan. Rub it around all over the base and sides.
2ND RISE:Spread the dough into the prepared pan gently stretching it out to the corners. You can push and prod it, and lift it allowing it's weight to stretch it downwards etc and keep doing this until you have it almost right into the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and prove another 45-60 minutes in a warm spot until it looks thick, puffy, bubbly and jiggles when you shake the pan.
Don't punch down the dough. Drizzle the top of the focaccia dough with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and gently spread it all over the top with your hands.
Dollop over pesto mixture. Spread with your hands again. Sprinkle over the parmesan and a good couple of pinches of flaky sea salt.
Now, press the fingertips of both hands into the dough to dimple it all over.
Bake for 23-26 minutes until the top and base are golden brown and crisp.
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Notes
Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
Stretch and folds. This is a great way to get air into the dough so that you get nice air bubbles in the focaccia bread. The first two or three sets of stretch and folds, the dough might tear as you do this because it's a no knead dough - it hasn't worked up any gluten. Don't worry, just keep going. By the last one it will be a little smoother and little less likely to tear. Also, the dough will be sticky to begin with and become less sticky as the stretch and folds go on.
Nutrition details are approximate only - scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.