High-Hydration Focaccia Recipe: Bread Flour Poolish for the Chewiest Crumb
Overnight poolish · 85% hydration · 36–42 hour cold ferment · one 9×13 pan
This is our workhorse focaccia — the chewiest, most rugged loaf in our rotation, with big irregular holes and a crackly, fried-crisp bottom. Two things make it sing: a high 85% hydration for an open crumb, and an overnight poolish that adds nutty, fermented depth and makes the dough beautifully extensible. It bakes in a single 9×13 pan and serves about eight.
A poolish is simply a portion of the flour pre-fermented overnight with a pinch of yeast and an equal weight of water. It's the difference between a good focaccia and a memorable one. Plan ahead: you'll mix the poolish the night before, then the dough cold-ferments 34–36 hours for full flavor.
Why this recipe works
- 85% hydration: a wet dough is what gives you that open, custardy, bubbly crumb.
- Overnight poolish: nutty depth, more extensibility, and better bubble structure.
- Long cold ferment (34–36 hours): the real flavor engine — don't rush it.
- Strong bread flour: the gluten strength to trap big bubbles and give a hearty chew.
Chewy Bread Flour Focaccia with Poolish
Mix the poolish the night before (12–16 hours). Mix the dough, fold 3 times, cold ferment 34–36 hours. Pan, proof 3–4 hours, dimple, bake. Total ~50 hours start to finish.
Ingredients
Poolish — mix the night before
- 150 g bread flour
- 150 g room-temperature water
- 0.4 g instant yeast (a small pinch)
Final dough
- All of the poolish (~300 g)
- 362 g bread flour
- 285 g room-temperature water
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 2.5 g instant yeast
- 14 g honey
- ~4 tbsp olive oil (for pan and finishing)
- Flaky salt to finish
Instructions
- 1
Make the poolish
The night or morning before, whisk the poolish flour, water, and pinch of yeast until no dry flour remains. Cover and leave at room temperature 12–16 hours, until domed, bubbly, and just beginning to recede in the center.
- 2
Mix the dough
Whisk the yeast, honey, and the 285 g water into the poolish until loosened. Add the bread flour and salt, and mix with a spatula until shaggy with no dry flour. Cover.
- 3
Fold
Over the first 1.5 hours, do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds about 30 minutes apart: with a wet hand, lift one edge, stretch up, and fold to the center, rotating the bowl, 4 times per set. The dough will go from shaggy to smooth and stretchy.
- 4
Cold ferment
Cover tightly and refrigerate 36–42 hours. The dough should roughly double in size and be blistered with bubbles.
- 5
Pan and proof
Generously butter or oil a 9×13 pan (2–3 tbsp). Gently transfer the dough in to the pan, fold it over itself a few times into a loose ball, and turn to coat. Cover and let come to room temperature until pillowy and jiggly, about 3–4 hours, coaxing it toward the corners once or twice if it resists.
- 6
Bake
Preheat to 475°F. Drizzle the dough with oil, dimple deeply to the pan with oiled fingertips, and scatter flaky salt. Bake 20-26 minutes to a deep golden top and bottom. Cool on a rack.
Tips
- Bread flour is thirsty; if the dough feels tight after folding, add a splash more water on the next fold.
- Never degas before baking. The bubbles you keep are the bubbles you eat.
- Watch the bottom: bread flour browns hard. Pull when the underside is deep gold and audibly crisp.
- Don't push the ferment past 48 hours, or the gluten begins to break down.
- Use more oil than you think, after pan proofing and before transferring to the oven, gently pull the sides away from the edge of the pan and drizzle extra oil to avoid sticking.
FAQ
- What is a poolish, and can I skip it?
- A poolish is an overnight preferment that deepens flavor and improves texture. You can make a simpler version with just instant yeast, but you'll lose some complexity and extensibility. Add the water and flour from the poolish to the main recipe and use a total of 3g instant yeast.
- Can I use all-purpose flour?
- If you must, you'll want to reduce the water slightly. All-purpose absorbs less water than bread flour, so 85% hydration will feel a bit too wet and slack, resulting in a crumb that will be a little less chewy.