Fun Stuff

Our second favourite thing to do with yeast (after brewing beer)? Whipping up a fresh batch of housemade Focaccia. 

Read on for Head Chef Josh De Caen's full recipe below: 

Ingredients:

775g plain (00) flour
20g table salt
550ml tepid water
20g olive oil
10g yeast
8g caster sugar
100ml warm water (to activate yeast)
100ml olive oil (for basting and finishing)

Method:

Wake Up the Yeast:
Combine the yeast with 100ml of warm water. Give it a good stir and let it sit for 10 minutes until it starts to bubble and come alive.

Mix the Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together the tepid water, 20g olive oil, caster sugar, and salt until everything is dissolved.

Bring It All Together:
Add the flour to the bowl, then pour in the yeast mixture. Mix by hand until a rough dough forms.

First Stretch & Fold:
Grab a corner of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it back into the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat this process three more times. Flip the dough over, cover with cling film, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Second Stretch & Fold:
Repeat the stretch and fold process. Flip the dough, cover, and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Third Stretch & Fold:
Once more, perform the stretch and fold. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

Final Stretch & Fold:
The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Perform one last stretch and fold, then let it rest for 1 hour.

Prepare the Tray:
Line a medium-sized tray with baking paper and generously coat it with some of the reserved olive oil. Place the dough on the tray and use your fingers to gently dimple and stretch it out to the corners (think ‘piano fingers’… you’ll know what we mean).

Add the Finishing Touches:
Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and sprinkle with sea salt. Feel free to add some fresh rosemary or confit garlic for extra flavour.

Bake to Perfection:
Preheat your oven to 210°C. Bake the focaccia for 14 minutes, then increase the temperature to 220°C and bake for an additional 5–6 minutes. If your oven doesn't have a steam function, place a small bowl of water inside to create moisture—this helps achieve a crispier crust.

Once baked, the focaccia should sound hollow when tapped. Remove it from the tray and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Our go-to serving suggestion is pairing your fluffy, golden focaccia with our malty Eagle Bay Pale Ale. Enjoy!