SOURDOUGH FOCCACIA

So this is my new favourite sourdough! I give you sourdough foccacia, a pillowy, salty, crispy delight, perfect to enjoy with an al fresco lunch with dips and salads or to accompany pasta, or just to eat it as it is because its so delicious!
This recipe is from the sourdough wizard Elaine Boddy and is in fact an adaptation of her sourdough master recipe.
This bread needs to be started the day before you want to eat it, there is a lot of waiting around for the sourdough starter to work its magic! But I can assure you it is well worth the wait.
The other great thing about this bread is you don't need bread flour, which is like gold dust at the moment!
Good old plain flour works fine!
So here is the recipe
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50g active starter
350mls water
1 tsp salt
500g plain flour

Additions flaky salt, garlic, rosemary, olives, sundried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, oregano, cubed cheese, good quality olive oil.

This makes a fairly large foccacia, you can make a smaller one by using 300g flour, 210g water, 30g active starter and 1/2 tsp salt. 
I made a big one since we are greedy and there are 5 of us to feed!

Method
Start this bread in the afternoon the day before you want to eat it.
Add the starter and water to a medium glass bowl, mix well then add the flour and salt.
Bring it together into a rough dough, cover it with a shower cap or tea towel and leave it at room temp for an hour.
After an hour do a set of stretch and folds, around 20 to 25 times, until the dough starts to form a smooth ball.
Cover it and leave it again at room temperature, giving it another few sets of stretch and folds during the evening. I did another 3 to 4 sets then covered and left the dough to prove overnight. The subsequent ones were only 4 to 6 times, not the original 20 to 25 times.
The dough should have risen significantly overnight and be active and bubbly. If the dough is right at the top of the bowl, then do a few gentle stretch and folds to calm it down a bit. Recover it. When you are ready to bake it, drizzle an oven tray with some olive oil, using a dough scraper or your hands, gently ease the dough away and let it fall onto the tray. Gently turn the dough over to coat it in oil, using your fingertips push the dough out to a rectangular shape until its about 2 to 3 cm thick. Press your fingertips into the dough at regular intervals to make indentations. Sprinkle with your chosen toppings and a good drizzle of oil.
Cover with a tea towel or large plastic bag and leave to prove for another 1 to 2 hours.
Pre heat your oven to 200 C  for a fan oven or 220 C 
Bake for 20 to 25 mins until nicely browned.
Cool on a rack, then cut and enjoy!

This really is a great recipe, although you do need to pay attention to timings!

I may try adapting it by using more starter and leaving it to prove for less time.
However at the moment we all have enough time on our hands so just use some forward planning!
You also need to use active starter so make sure your starter has been fed recently before you use it!
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