Focaccia Bread / Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• Flour, Bread

  Bread, King Arthur Flour

  400g

• Active Dry Yeast

  Red Star

  5 g or 5g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  275g

• Sea Salt

  Morton

  6g

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  DCoop

  ½ tbsp or 50g

• Sugar

  White, granulated sugar

  6g

Directions

1. This recipe may appear daunting because of the number of steps. As with most dough, waiting on aytolise, first rise, and final proof are long periods of waiting between short bursts of work in the actual kitchen. This recipe yields a very forgiving dough that can be used for either a crusty focaccia bread or a tender pizza crust, and both preparations are detailed at the end of the recipe. A more appropriate accounting of the time required for this recipe would be: Pizza Dough- Prep Time: 20-30 minutes (for either stand mixer or hand-kneading) Idle time: 2-24 hours Cook Time: 7-15 minutes Focaccia- Prep time: 20-30 minutes (for either stand mixer or hand-kneading) Idle Time: 2-24 hours Cook Time:
2. Proof yeast then combine remaining dry ingredients with 1/4 water in a large bowl.
3. Autolise 20-30 minutes.
4. Mix in remaining water for a shaggy, sticky, wet dough.
5. Knead smooth. KitchenAid: 2 / 8-10m Hand: 10-12m
6. Divide equally. Oil and bag. Refrigerate 2-30 hr or freeze.
7. Before preparing focaccia or pizza, let the dough come to room temperature on the countertop. (2-3 hr refrigerated / 6-7 hr frozen)
8. Arrange racks at the top and middle of the oven, 6-8" apart and preheat the oven to the hottest it will go. Temperatures in excess of 500' F produce superior results. For pizza, load the center of each rack with large baking stones to preheat. Large, heavy sheet pans will suffice in the absence of baking stones; invert the one on the bottom rack so that the bottom faces up. For focaccia, baking stones are not necessary, but can be placed on the top rack to regulate heat distribution. Preheat for at least 30 minutes. A very fast oven is critical whether it be for pizza or focaccia.
9. Focaccia: Do not roll the dough. Oil a medium-small, high-sided baking dish. Gently press the dough out to the edges. With a finger, make several deep dimples in the dough, all the way down to the dish. Sprinkle dried herbs, and coarse sea salt across the dough. (For non low-fat diets, brush or drizzle olive oil before the herbs and salt across the top so that it puddles up slightly in the dimples.)
10. Focaccia Continued: For thicker bread, let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes before baking uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until a golden color to the crust develops. Remove immediately to a cooling rack. Cool for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
11. For pizza: Do not roll the dough. Toss he dough, or gently use your fingertips to stretch it across a pizza peel or large rimless baking sheet to a thickness of 1/8 - 1/4". If it springs back upon stretching, rest it five minutes and try again. Handle the dough as little as possible. Once stretched, add sauce and toppings sparingly, leaving a one inch border around the edge to form the crust of the final pizza.
12. Pizza Continued: Carefully slide topped pizza onto the baking stone in the middle of the oven. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until crust has puffed to golden brown. Keep oven door closed. Remove to cutting board and allow to cool five minutes before slicing with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Serve immediately.

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