AIR FRYER NO KNEAD FOCACCIA

It’s too hot but you still want to bake Focaccia!? We got you! Not only this recipe is super easy but very flavorful, too!

What will you need?

For the starter also called poolish:

Bread flour: highly recommend this over All Purpose flour because this recipe calls for a high content of water and long resting time. Bread flour contains a higher amount of protein which is necessary for this kind of recipe.

Water: depending on the season the temperature of the water will vary. In winter time we use lukewarm water, during summer the cold one is recommended. This recipe, like many of our focaccia recipes, calls for a high content of water and the term for this is “high hydration” dough. It yields soft and fluffy dough.

Yeast: whether you use “instant yeast” or “active dry yeast” it doesn’t really matter for this purpose. The main difference between the two kinds is that “active dry yeast” needs to be activated in warm water and sugar or honey prior to being used. Whereas “instant yeast” can be used right away.

Honey or sugar: yeast loves sugar, so whether you use active dry yeast or instant yeast, we recommend adding it so it feeds the yeast. To make it easy we simply dissolve the honey or sugar in the water.

Salt: for flavor since this is a savory focaccia.

Extra virgin olive oil: also known as EVOO or EVO oil. We recommend the extra virgin olive oil instead of the simple “olive oil” because it’s much flavorful. Depending on the brand, EVO oil is pure whereas simple olive oil is mixed with other oils.

Instructions:

The day before, make starter simply by mixing bread flour, cold water, yeast, and honey.

Cover and let rest on the countertop (preferably in a warm spot) for about 5-6 hours. Then place in the fridge for the rest of the night The day after: Using a fork or your hands,  mix in the cold starter, the rest of the flour, water, the salt, and extra virgin olive oil. NO KNEADING required, just mix it a little. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes-1 hour. Do 1 stretch and folds: grab the dough stretching it out and then fold towards the center (check my highlights “focaccia tutorial” to see how I do it, it’s very simply, I promise). Do this until the dough start to be resistant when pulling. Flip seam side down, shape into a ball and place the dough in the pan covered with parchment paper (make sure to grease the sides with some EVO oil) that are not covered from the parchment paper, so the dough doesn’t stick and let rest for 1.5-2 hours in a warm place.

This is a high hydration dough, which means that there is a high water content. If you divide the total amount of water by the total amount of flour in this specific recipe, you will find out that the percentage of hydration of this recipe is 80%.  Here is where the stretch and folds will be helpful: not only they help with gluten development but they will also make the dough easier to handle. So please do NOT add any more flour, otherwise you will end up with a more dense and drier focaccia bread.

Why do we let it rest for so long?

There are different reasons why we prefer it this way: first, it helps with digestion because we use less yeast and his makes for longer resting hours. Second, the flavor and texture improve much more when letting rest at least 12 hours.

What pan should you use?

Highly recommend a metal pan instead of a glass one, because it holds the heat differently and will yield a very crispy focaccia on the bottom.

How to store it?

The best way to store focaccia is to let it cool completely, then put in freezer safe ziplock bags. If you leave it on the countertop uncovered, it will dry out and harden.

To reheat the focaccia, you can go two ways. You can microwave on the “defrost” option for a minute or so. Or, alternatively, you can place it in the air fryer for 4 minutes at 360F.

Notes: