.Of all the recipes I’ve tried to make a good focaccia, believe me this one is among the best I’ve ever tasted! And it’s well tested since I’ve already made it at least four times, as far as I can remember! Tall, cloud-soft inside and crispy outside, and full of flavour, thanks to a brine that should be brushed on both before baking and once it’s out of the oven! And if, unbelievably, you have any left over, trust me when I say that even the next day this focaccia will keep all its softness and aroma! Also, adding some oat flour to the dough will make it more rustic and therefore suitable to be filled with cold cuts, cheeses and grilled vegetables. But in my opinion it’s also delicious simply bitten as is, as a snack, or, as I did, cut into slices and served at the table instead of bread together with breadsticks. You’ll make a great impression with a few simple moves. Just knead in the early afternoon to have it hot, fragrant and ready to be sliced for dinner! The ultimate for all those women who don’t like eternal rising times and complicated procedures, but want to try with a satisfying result! I assure you that besides being very tasty, it’s also really very simple to prepare! And if you should have any doubts, you can even consult the video tutorial on my YouTube channel which you find at the bottom of the page! In short, you have no more excuses! Tie on your apron!

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 4 Hours 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 6
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients for the focaccia:

2 1/2 cups Manitoba (strong) flour
1 3/4 cups 00 flour (Italian-type all-purpose)
2/3 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cups + 2 tsp room-temperature water (370 ml)
2 2/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp (≈9 g fresh) fresh baker's yeast (see note on equivalents)
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for the brine)
2 tsp water (for the brine)
1 pinch salt (for the brine)

Preparation:

In a large bowl, sift the three types of flour, mixing well with a wooden spoon (fig. 1).
In another large bowl, add part of the total water, the oil and the salt, and whisk by hand (fig. 2).
Incorporate a few tablespoons of the sifted flours and continue mixing with the whisk (fig. 3).
Separately, dissolve the yeast in the remaining water together with the honey (fig. 4).
Pour the dissolved yeast into the dough mixture, continuing to stir (fig. 5).
Gradually add the remaining flour mixture (fig. 6).
As soon as the dough becomes firmer, still in the bowl, start working it by hand, folding it over itself to absorb all the flour from the bottom of the bowl (fig. 7).
If needed, you can add 1/2 tablespoon of flour. You should obtain a rather coarse dough ball (fig. 8).
Place the dough ball in a well-oiled baking pan and let it rise for 3 hours in a turned-off oven with the light on, until it doubles in volume (fig. 9).
After this time, perform 2 turns of folding the dough over itself (fig. 10).
Then turn the dough over and place it back in the oven to rise for another hour (fig. 11).
After the hour of rising, use your fingertips to push the dough outward, trying to stretch it (fig. 12).
Once stretched, spread and brush the entire surface of the focaccia with part of the brine you prepared earlier with oil, water and salt. Then let it rise for at least another 30 minutes (fig. 13).
After the final half hour of rising, make indentations with your fingertips as if massaging the focaccia, and bake in a preheated oven at 392°F for 30 minutes (fig. 14).
Once baked, let it cool slightly, then brush the surface with the remaining brine (fig. 15).
Here it is at the moment of cutting, delicious beyond words!
And voilà… your oat focaccia is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy your meal from FeFè’s kitchen!