No Knead Easy Focaccia

• Ingredients
  

Baking bread by Cups/spoons measurement system

• Take ¼ cup of lukewarm water (80 F - 100 F) / (27 C - 38 C). Warm water helps in activating the yeast. Be careful that it's not hot as that would kill the yeast. For testing the warmth put your finger in and check. You should easily be able to put your finger in it and feel the warmth but not burn.
• To the warm water add sugar, salt and yeast and stir it in. (you can use any type of yeast as we would be proofing it either ways). Keep the bowl in a warm place to proof for 10 to 15 mins. (Fresh yeast would take upto 15 mins to proof up)
• Take a big bowl or a wide container or a pan with lid in which we can mix the dough. Whatever you take should be deep and wide enough to stretch the dough and have lid so that we can cover and rest it to rise/proof.
• In that bowl add ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water. Pour in the proofed yeast mix and oil and then stir all the ingredients
  
• Add the flour (bread flour/ All purpose flour). Use a spatula to mix in the dry and wet ingredients. Do not over mix the mixture. We just need to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.
  
• This is how your dough looks like after mixing. Cover it with a lid and let it rest for 20 mins
  
• After resting it for 20 mins take a medium size bowl filled with water. It should be big enough to dip your hand.
• Dip your hand in the bowl of water and get it wet. With the wet hand slowly start lifting the dough from the pan bottom and go all around the pan to release the sides of the dough from bottom of the pan.
• Once the dough is released from the bottom, wet and clean your hands in the bowl and start the stretch and fold pattern. What it means is that insert your palm below one side of the dough and gradually lift it away stretching it but being careful that it doesn't tear. Fold it over the center of the dough just like folding a cloth. We will repeat this process 3 more times. So every time you stretch and fold you rotate the pan 90 degree and then fold the other side. (video attached for explanation)
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 mins.
• After 20 mins repeat the stretch and fold pattern again. (this stretch and fold is done 3 times, resting for 20 mins in between each cycle).
• Grease a baking pan with 2 tablespoon oil and preheat the oven at 450 F/ 230 C. If you are using OTG turn both the rods on.
• After the last stretch and fold, wet both your hands and then very gently turn the dough over getting the bottom side of dough on the top. We do this as the top side of the dough after doing stretch and fold has fold marks and hence uneven surface. On the contrary due to stretching the bottom has much smoother surface. Now slowly tuck in the sides of the dough into the bottom. (attaching video for reference)

  We do this so that when we lift the dough into the baking pan it doesn't slip off the sides or tear off due to excess stretching.

  Wet both the hands and slowly lift it to the greased pan.

  Now to spread the dough in the baking pan start pressing it. Start putting the pressure in the center gradually moving to the outer surface. Keep turning the pan around and repeat the process till the dough is about ½ inch to 1 inch flat all around.

  This way of pressing the dough ensures even spread of the dough and not form a lump in the center.
• If you want to make the traditional herb and olive oil flavored focaccia it is advisable to use your fingertips to make some holes in the dough. fill these holes with olive oil and sprinkle some fresh chopped rosemary and some sea salt on the top. This way when you bake the bread the oil seeps into the bread infusing the herb flavors to making the bread delicious.
  
• Alternatively a focaccia with herbs, cheese, jalapenos and bell peppers tastes good. The light cheese on top gives good flavor as well as nice color. However at this point you can add any toppings you want and keep the dough to rest for 15 - 20 mins.
  
• After resting for about 20 mins put the pan in the oven to bake for 13 - 15 mins. Remember each oven has different heat settings so it's always advisable to check the bread at 12 mins and then continue to bake if required.

  The most trusted way to check if the bread is done is by using the candy thermometer. Insert the thermometer in the bread and check if the internal temperature has reached 210 F / 98.9 C. That is the perfect indication that the bread is done. Any cooking you do beyond that is just to make the bread more crisp.
• Once the focaccia is ready get it out of the oven and let it cool for 15 to 20 mins before transferring it to wire rack for further cooling.
• You can cut it after 10 to 15 mins if you want to have if fresh and warm. However it's best to let the bread rest for at least an hour and come to room temperature.
  

Baking by Weight

• Take the bowl or pan in which you want to make the dough and place it on the scale. Turn the weight to Zero.
• Add warm water, sugar, salt and yeast to the bowl. Stir in all the ingredients and let it rest for 10 to 15 mins for yeast to proof.
• Once the yeast is proofed add oil (preferably olive oil) and bread flour / all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture and stir it in with a spatula to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.
• Rest of the steps are same as the one mentioned for "Baking bread by Cups/spoons measurement system"