Focaccia from Bari

Method

1. To prepare the Bari-style Focaccia, start by cooking the potato in plenty of boiling water. Once tender, peel it and pass it through a potato ricer.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, semolina flour, mashed potato, salt, and sourdough starter. Add a splash of room temperature water and start mixing at low speed.
3. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining water and work until you obtain a homogeneous dough. Add the olive oil and continue mixing for another 5 minutes.
4. Increase the mixer speed and continue kneading for another 15 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Pour a drizzle of olive oil on the work surface, transfer the dough there and turn it to coat all sides with oil. Divide it in half to form two balls of about 400 grams each.
6. Oil a tray thoroughly, place the two dough balls on it, and let them rise at room temperature for about 8 hours or until a light crust forms on top. As a rule of thumb: if room temperature is above 20°C (68°F), it will take about 8 hours; if it’s between 15°C and 20°C (59-68°F), it will take 12 hours.
7. After the resting time, check if the dough has risen properly by gently pressing it with your finger: if it springs back to its original shape, it means it has risen perfectly.
8. Evenly oil a 32-centimeter (12.5-inch) diameter focaccia pan, place one dough ball in the center, flip it to oil it uniformly, and spread it with your hands until it fills the entire pan.
9. Wash, clean, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Squeeze them so their juice spreads evenly over the dough and arrange them cut-side down on the focaccia surface.
10. Drain the olives carefully and distribute them evenly on the focaccia. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano, and add a pinch of salt.
11. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 270°C (520°F) for about 20 minutes. If your oven doesn’t reach this temperature, set it to the highest available setting.
12. When the focaccia is perfectly baked and about 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4-0.6 inches) high, remove it from the oven. Serve the Bari-style Focaccia piping hot! Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!