# Ultimate Focaccia

By Willy Bear · 2026-10-04 · https://ricottabear.com/ultimate-focaccia


Paul Hollywood’s focaccia: a wet, oily dough, a 16 hour prove in the tin, and olives, red onion and tomatoes pressed into the top.

## The story

The secret is time and water. A very wet dough gets a short knead, a 2 hour rise, and then a long 16 hour prove right in the tin, so it bakes up light and bubbly instead of cakey. Lots of olive oil underneath and on top.

Paul Hollywood’s recipe from his book BAKE, as published by lovefood, written out here in my own words.

## Recipe: Ultimate Focaccia

A light, bubbly focaccia from a wet dough proved for 16 hours in the tin, topped with olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, oregano and flaky salt.

> Status: UNTESTED. The author has not made this yet; quantities and timings may change.

- Makes: 6 servings
- Prep: 30 min
- Bake: 20 min
- Total: 18 hr 50 min

### Ingredients

**For the dough**

- 500 g (4⅛ cups) bread flour
- 8 g (1⅓ tsp) table salt, fine
- 10 g (1⅛ tbsp) instant yeast, fast-action dried yeast
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, plus extra for oiling
- 370 ml (1⅝ cups) water

**For the topping**

- 75 g (2.6 oz) Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 red onion, small
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 150 ml (⅝ cup) olive oil, to drizzle
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt

### Method

1. **Mix.** Put all the dough ingredients in a large bowl and stir until they come together into a dough.
2. **Fold.** Fold one corner of the dough into the middle and press down firmly, turn the bowl a quarter and repeat. Keep folding and turning for 2 minutes.
3. **Knead.** Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and knead for 10 minutes, until soft and elastic. In a mixer with a dough hook: 2 minutes on slow, then 7 on medium.
4. **Rise.** Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a large plastic bag and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, until at least doubled.
5. **Into the tin.** Oil the base of the tin generously. Tip the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and stretch it to the size of the tin, then lay it in. Drizzle with plenty of olive oil and press your fingers firmly into it all over.
6. **Long prove.** Put the tin in a roomy plastic bag and leave it to prove for 16 hours.
7. **Top.** Press the olives firmly into the dough, spread evenly. Cut the onion into slim wedges and push them in too, then halve the tomatoes and press them in. Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with the oregano and plenty of flaky salt. Heat the oven. Oven: 410°F / 210°C (190°C fan).
8. **Bake.** Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Drizzle with more olive oil as it comes out, then cool on a wire rack. Do not overbake: it should stay light and soft inside.