Olive Oil Sourdough Focaccia

Method

1. 1

   Stir the starter into the water until cloudy. Add the flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the salt and 14 grams (1 tablespoon) of the oil. Pinch and fold until they disappear. Over the next 3 hours, give the dough three sets of stretch-and-folds, about 45 minutes apart. It should look smoother and a little puffy.

3. 3

   Cover and refrigerate 8 to 18 hours. If you need it the same day, leave it at room temperature until it has nearly doubled instead.

4. 4

   Pour 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of oil into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Scrape in the dough. Oil your fingers and gently stretch it toward the corners. If it springs back, wait 15 minutes and stretch again. Do not tear it.

5. 5

   Let it rise until puffy, 1 to 2 hours. Dimple it deeply with oiled fingers, all the way toward the pan. Lay on rosemary and flaky salt. Drizzle a little more oil into the dimples.

6. 6

   Bake at 425°F for 22 to 28 minutes, until the top is deep gold and the underside is spotted brown. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then move it to a rack. It is best the day it is baked.

From the kitchen

• A wet dough is the point. If you add a lot of flour to make it obedient, you will bake a flat loaf, not focaccia.
• This is a generous bread for soup night. One pan feeds a table and still leaves a square for tomorrow's breakfast.