Poolish-preferment high-hydration focaccia
Poolish Focaccia (Preferment for Flavor and an Open Crumb)
A sweet-smelling, nutty focaccia with a wonderfully open, custardy crumb — built on a poolish, the loose overnight preferment that gives artisan bread its aroma.
- Total
- 18 hr
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Hydration
- 80%
- Skill
- intermediate
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
The night before, mix a poolish of 200 g flour, 200 g water and 0.4 g yeast and leave it 12–16 hours until bubbly and domed. The next day add 300 g flour, 200 g water, 10 g salt, 3 g yeast and olive oil for a 500 g flour, 80% hydration dough; ferment, pan, proof, dimple, and bake at 230°C/450°F for about 22 minutes.
Why this works
The overnight poolish pre-ferments 40% of the flour, generating aromatic byproducts and organic acids that build flavor and strengthen the gluten while relaxing it for extensibility. That head start gives a lighter, more open crumb than a straight dough mixed and baked the same day.
The schedule
~47m hands-on of 5.2h total · overnight
- Mix & fold · 47m
- Bulk ferment · 2.5h
- Proof · 1.3h
- Bake · 22m
- Cool · 15m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix the poolish (evening)
Whisk 200 g flour, 200 g water and the pinch of yeast into a loose batter. Cover and leave at room temperature 12–16 hours.
Look for: When ready it is domed, covered in bubbles, and smells sweet and slightly winey; it will start to recede at its peak.
- 2
Mix the final dough
Add the ripe poolish to 200 g water and 15 g oil, then the 300 g flour and 3 g yeast; mix to a shaggy dough, rest 20 minutes, and work in the salt.
Look for: Wet and extensible, with the ripe poolish loosening the dough noticeably.
- 3
Bulk ferment with folds
Give 2–3 sets of stretch-and-folds over the first hour, then let it rise until airy.
Look for: Smooth, jiggly and grown by about half again, with bubbles at the surface.
- 4
Pan and proof
Oil the 30×40 cm pan, stretch the dough to the edges, and proof until puffy.
Look for: A fingertip dent fills back slowly and the dough fills the pan.
- 5
Dimple and bake
Drizzle oil, dimple deeply, scatter flaky salt, and bake at 230°C/450°F until deep gold and blistered.
Look for: A very open, bubbly crumb shows at the cut edges; the base is crisp.
- 6
Cool
Cool on a rack at least 15 minutes.
Look for: The sweet, malty aroma settles and the crumb sets.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Very open and custardy with large glossy holes.
- Crust: Crisp fried base; thin crackly top.
- Height: About 2.5–3.5 cm tall.
- Color: Deep, even gold.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Poolish flat or lifeless | Too little time, cold room, or old yeast | Use it when domed and bubbly; give it longer in a warmer spot if slow. |
| Poolish collapsed and smells sharp | Over-fermented past its peak | Use it just as it peaks; if overshot, it still works but flavor is sharper. |
| Tight crumb | Under-fermented final dough | Let the bulk and proof run until genuinely airy and jiggly. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best the day it is baked; wrapped at room temperature up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze cooled squares up to 1 month.
Reheating: Refresh in a 200°C/400°F oven 5 minutes.
Contains wheat/gluten.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
Some links are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.
Required pan & tools
- Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g resolution) (opens Amazon) ↗ — Focaccia is a set of ratios; a scale is the single biggest upgrade to consistency. Fine resolution matters for small salt and yeast weights.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- Poolish or biga — which should I use?
- Poolish (wet) leans toward a sweeter, more extensible, open crumb; biga (stiff) leans toward more strength and a chewier, tangier result. This recipe is the poolish route.
- Can I refrigerate the poolish if it ripens early?
- Yes — chill it to slow it down and bring it back to room temperature before mixing.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/poolish-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.