No-Knead Focaccia with Basil Olive Oil & Fleur de Sel

At the Lello table

This is deliberately a restrained focaccia. The dough is left plain enough for fermentation, olive oil and salt to remain intelligible. The basil-infused oil is added after baking, when the bread is hot enough to release its aroma without cooking its freshness away.

Method

1. In a large bowl, stir together the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar. Add the flour and fine sea salt and mix with a sturdy spoon or flexible spatula until no dry flour remains. The dough should look loose, sticky and somewhat untidy; do not add extra flour to make it behave like conventional bread dough.
2. Rest for 15 minutes. With damp fingers, reach beneath one side of the dough, stretch it upward without tearing and fold it toward the center. Turn the bowl and repeat three more times. This is enough structure; there is no traditional kneading.
3. Coat a clean large bowl with 1 tablespoon / 15 mL of the regular olive oil. Transfer the dough, turn once to lightly coat, cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. It should become visibly bubbly and approximately double in volume.
4. Pour 2 tablespoons / 30 mL regular olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch / 23 × 33-cm metal baking pan. Transfer the cold dough into the pan and turn it once so both sides pick up oil. Gently stretch it toward the corners. If it springs back, leave it for 15 minutes and try again rather than forcing it.
5. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature until the dough is very soft, aerated and visibly puffed, about 1½ to 2½ hours depending on room temperature.
6. Place a rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 450°F / 230°C.
7. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 mL regular olive oil with the 2 tablespoons / 30 mL water. Oil your fingertips and press deeply into the dough, allowing your fingers to reach almost to the base of the pan without deflating the whole sheet. Drizzle the oil-water mixture across the surface so some settles into the dimples.
8. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and the edges are crisp and pulling slightly from the pan. Pale focaccia is underbaked focaccia.
9. Let the bread stand in the pan for 3 minutes, then drizzle evenly with the Il Boschetto Basil Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
10. Scatter the SAL de IBIZA Fleur de Sel across the warm surface immediately before serving or shortly before cutting.

Cook’s notes

• Use the expensive oil where you can still taste it. There is little reason to subject a basil-infused finishing oil to a 450°F oven; ordinary good olive oil belongs in the dough and pan, while the infused oil belongs on the finished bread.
• Add fleur de sel at the end so its delicate crystals remain perceptible rather than dissolving into the dough.
• Do not chase a dry, kneadable dough by adding flour. The relatively high hydration is what gives this focaccia its open crumb and tender interior.

Substitutions

• All-purpose flour works, but the crumb will be slightly softer and less chewy. If the dough seems unusually loose with lower-protein flour, reduce the water by 1 to 2 tablespoons / 15 to 30 mL rather than adding large amounts of extra flour.
• Active dry yeast can be used in the same weight. Dissolve it in the lukewarm water and sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the flour.
• For a same-day focaccia, leave the mixed dough at room temperature until approximately doubled, usually 3 to 4 hours, then transfer it to the pan for the final rise. The bread will still be good, but the overnight version develops more depth.
• A very good plain EVOO can replace the basil-infused oil. Fresh basil leaves are not a direct substitute; if desired, tear a few leaves over the finished bread rather than baking them until dark.
• Another delicate flaky finishing salt works in place of fleur de sel. Do not substitute the same quantity of fine table salt at the end; its salinity is much more concentrated.

To serve

Serve warm or at room temperature alongside antipasti, roast chicken, soup or a simple salad. For an aperitivo table, cut into narrow rectangles and serve with soft cheese, olives and sliced tomatoes.

Storage & make-ahead

Focaccia is best the day it is baked. Keep leftovers tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 1 day, then reheat at 375°F / 190°C for 6 to 8 minutes to restore the crust. For longer storage, freeze individual pieces and reheat directly from frozen.