Italian Sourdough Starter from Genoa Italy, "Focaccia"

Description

The common-known focaccia is
salt focaccia
. Focaccia
doughs
are similar in style and texture to
pizza
doughs, consisting of
high-gluten flour
,
oil
,
water
,
salt
and
yeast
. It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a
stone-bottom
or hearth
oven
. Bakers often puncture the bread with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread.
Also common is the practice of dotting the bread. This creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a way to preserve moisture in the bread,
olive oil
is then spread over the dough, by hand or with a
pastry brush
prior to rising and baking. In the northern part of Italy,
lard
will sometimes be added to the dough, giving the focaccia a softer, slightly flakier texture. Focaccia recipes are widely available, and with the popularity of
bread machines
, many cookbooks now provide versions of dough recipes that do not require hand
kneading
.
Instructions Included