About the Recipe
This is my grandmother's recipe. No scale, no recipe written down, just flour, oil and instinct. I got inspired by it and made it my own, using what I've learned along the way. The biga is the addition, it gives the crust that crunch and keeps the focaccia good the next day too. Everything else stays true to hers.
Ingredients
For the Biga
125 g bakers flour
1 g dry yeast
60 g water
For the Focaccia
500 g bakers flour
65 g wholemeal flour
315 g semolina flour
125 g biga (from above)
190 g potato, boiled, peeled and crushed
25 g salt
70 g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the tray and finishing
480 g cold water
12 g dry yeast
1 tbsp dried oregano
Black olives, to top
Preparation
Biga (make the day before)
Combine the bakers flour, dry yeast and water, being careful not to overmix.
Cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature overnight.
Focaccia
In a stand mixer, combine the bakers flour, semolina flour and wholemeal flour with the biga.
Mix the yeast into the water, then add it slowly to the flour mixture. Continue mixing for 5 minutes.
Once the dough looks stretchy, add the potato and mix again.
Combine the salt and olive oil, then add to the dough. Keep mixing until the dough is stretchy again and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Cover with a towel and prove in a warm area for about 30 minutes.
While the dough proves, prepare a baking tray with a generous layer of olive oil.
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to the tray. Press it out with your fingers, top with more olive oil, and prove for a further 30 minutes.
Push the black olives into the dough and prove for a further 30–40 minutes.
Bake at 220°C for 15–20 minutes.
Turn out onto a rack to cool and brush with more olive oil.