PREPARATION:
Step 1: Make the Poolish
The night before you want to make your focaccia, around 9 pm, prepare your poolish. Add the flour, water and 1/4 tsp of yeast together into your starter jar and mix thoroughly. Set aside on your counter overnight to rise with the lid on loosely.
Step 2: Make the Dough
The next morning, add the bubbly poolish, flour, water and yeast together into a bowl. Mix by hand until combined. Allow to rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the salt water and mix again with your hands, squeezing the dough in between your fingers to evenly distribute the salt. Cover with a clean dish towel and proof for 1 hour.
Transfer the dough to your Proofing Box. Lift one corner of the dough up and over into the center of the dough so as to stretch and fold it over itself and continue until you have done so to each corner of the dough. Perform these stretch and folds 4 times every 30 minutes, for 2 hours total.
Lightly grease the base of your Challenger Bread Pan with 50ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add your dough to the base, and gently stretch it so it fills up the space. Lightly grease some saran wrap with the oil and wrap over the top of the dough so it doesn’t stick. Place into your fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight for optimum flavor.
Step 3: Dimple and Top the Dough
The next day, remove the focaccia dough from the fridge. While the dough is still cold, add the blackcurrants, crumbled goat cheese and chopped lemon-thyme on top of the dough. Allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature.
While the focaccia is rising, preheat your oven to 500°F / 260°C. Drizzle the rest of your olive oil over your dough, then using your fingers, dimple the dough to create some beautiful big bubbles.
Step 4: Bake the Focaccia
Place your focaccia in the Challenger Bread Pan base into the oven and immediately turn down to 410°F / 210°C. Bake for 12 minutes then turn down to 392°F / 200°C, and bake for an additional 18–20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This goes beautifully with a syrupy, high-quality balsamic vinegar and peppery olive oil.
