H3art of the Home

• Make the sourdough dough. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, water, active sourdough starter, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hands until no dry flour remains. (2-3 minutes) The dough will be very sticky. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Let rest for one hour.
• After one hour, do a series of stretch and folds. Grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upward, and folding over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3-4 times about the entire dough mass. Place the lid or plastic wrap back over top and continue the bulk fermentation.
• Bulk ferment the dough. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. The timing depends on your kitchen temperature. In a warmer kitchen (75 to 78°F), check around 8 hours. In a cooler kitchen (68 to 70°F), it may need the full 12 hours. The dough is ready when it’s puffy, doubled in size, and full of visible bubbles. When you shake the bowl, the dough should jiggle.
• Make the pesto. While the dough is fermenting, add the basil leaves, olive oil, parmesan, romano, butter, garlic, and optional RPF to a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If making ahead, let the pesto come to room temperature before using (1 to 2 hours out of the fridge). It should be soft and fluid, not thick like solidified butter. Reserve about ¼ cup of pesto for finishing.
• Prepare the parmesan coating. Grate a block of parmesan on a box grater. For the finest coating, add the grated parmesan and cornstarch to a food processor and pulse until super fine and powdery. Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate and add the garlic powder if using. Whisk to combine evenly. (or you can purchase finely grated parmesan at the store)
• Set up your workspace. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Have your room temperature pesto, parmesan coating mixture, and lined pan all within reach.
  
• Portion the dough. Once bulk fermentation is complete, lightly grease your hands with oil. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface or work directly from the bowl. Using greased hands or a bench scraper, tear the dough into 2 to 3 inch chunks. You should get about 24-30 pieces. They don’t need to be uniform. and you can make them larger or smaller. I usually like golf ball size.
• Coat the chunks. Take each dough chunk and dip it into the pesto, turning to coat all sides generously. Let excess drip off briefly but keep them well saturated. Immediately roll the pesto coated chunk in the parmesan coating mixture, turning until all sides are coated. The pesto acts as glue for the coating to stick.
• Arrange in the pan. Place each coated chunk into the prepared pan as you work. Nestle them close together but don’t pack them too tight. They should be touching. This creates the pull apart effect as they proof and bake together. I like to do 5 rows or 4 across. But you can alter how big or small you'd like the balls to be.
• Second proof. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap or a lid. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. The chunks should puff up noticeably and look airy. They’ll expand and touch each other more firmly. Don’t over proof. The dough should be puffy but not completely doubled.
• Preheat the oven. While the dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Make sure it’s fully preheated before baking.
• Dimple the dough. Once the second proof is complete and right before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the entire surface. Press down gently all over, creating small indentations everywhere. This pushes the pesto and coating down into the dough, creating marbled swirls throughout. It also helps the focaccia maintain its texture during baking.
  
• Bake. Uncover the pan and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes. The focaccia should be starting to turn golden brown.
• Add the cheese. Pull the pan out of the oven and quickly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top if using. Work quickly to avoid losing too much heat. Return to the oven immediately.
• Finish baking. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. The cheese should be fully melted and bubbly, and the focaccia should be deeply golden brown with some darker caramelized spots.
• Add fresh pesto and serve. As soon as you remove the focaccia from the oven, drizzle the reserved fresh pesto all over the top (optional). The heat will help it settle into the nooks and crannies while keeping the bright green color. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Mix the dough.

• There are two ways to do this depending on your yeast. Follow only the method that matches your yeast, then continue with the rest of the recipe.

METHOD A: INSTANT YEAST (no proofing needed)

• In a large bowl, whisk together the 540 g bread flour, 7 g instant yeast, and 10 g salt. Add the 440 g warm water and mix with a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hands until no dry flour remains, about 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky. Water temperature depends on your brand, so check the packet. Red Star Platinum instant calls for about 120°F, while many other instant yeasts prefer 100 to 110°F.

METHOD B: ACTIVE DRY YEAST (proof the yeast first)

• In a large bowl, stir together 40 g of the water warmed to 100 to 110°F, the 9 g active dry yeast, and ¼ teaspoon sugar. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead and you need to start over with fresh yeast. Add the 540 g bread flour, 10 g salt, and the remaining 400 g water. Mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be very sticky.

Stretch and fold, three sets.

• Thirty minutes after mixing, do the first set. With a lightly damp or oiled hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat all the way around, about 4 folds. Cover and rest 30 minutes, then do the second set the same way. Rest 30 more minutes and do the third set. Stay on the top surface, keep your movements quick and gentle, and do not knead.
  

Bulk ferment.

• After the last set of folds, cover and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, puffy, and jiggly, usually 2 to 3 hours total from mixing. A warmer kitchen moves faster.

Make the pesto.

• While the dough ferments, add the basil, olive oil, parmesan, romano, butter, garlic, and optional RPF to a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Reserve about ¼ cup for finishing. If made ahead and refrigerated, let it come to room temperature so it is soft and fluid before dipping.

Prepare the parmesan coating.

• Add the finely grated parmesan and cornstarch to a food processor and pulse until fine and powdery. Transfer to a shallow bowl and stir in the garlic powder if using. Or use store bought finely grated parmesan and mix with the cornstarch and optional garlic powder.

Set up your workspace.

• Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Have the room temperature pesto, parmesan coating, and lined pan within reach.

Portion the dough.

• Lightly grease your hands with oil. Working from the bowl or a lightly greased surface, tear the dough into 2 to 3 inch chunks. You should get about 24-30 pieces. They do not need to be uniform. About the size of a golf ball, but this is customizable for how large or small you want to make them.

Coat the chunks.

• Dip each chunk into the pesto, turning to coat all sides generously. Let the excess drip off, then immediately roll it in the parmesan coating until covered. The pesto acts as glue for the coating.

Arrange in the pan.

• Nestle the coated chunks close together in the pan so they are just touching. This creates the pull-apart effect as they proof and bake together.

Second proof.

• Loosely cover the pan and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until the chunks look puffy and airy and press together more firmly. Do not over proof. The dough should be puffy but not completely doubled.

Preheat the oven.

• While the dough proofs, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Make sure it is fully preheated before baking.

Dimple the dough.

• Right before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the entire surface, pressing gently all over. This pushes the pesto and coating down into the dough and creates marbled swirls throughout.

Bake.

• Uncover and bake for 20 minutes, until the focaccia is starting to turn golden brown.

Add the cheese.

• Pull the pan out and quickly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top if using. Work fast to keep the heat, then return it to the oven immediately.

Finish baking.

• Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the focaccia is deeply golden with some caramelized spots.
• Add fresh pesto and serve. As soon as it comes out of the oven, drizzle the reserved pesto over the top if using. Scatter fresh basil leaves and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let cool about 5 minutes, then serve warm.