The focaccia dough is cold fermented for 72 hours, resulting in complex flavors and a light texture. Small amounts of yeast are used to ensure a slow and steady rise. Easier digestion too.

Focaccia is one of the easiest breads to make, and what I recommend when people ask me where to get started with baking. Perfect Pan Pizza by Peter Reinhart is wonderful and where I learned to make focaccia. If you had a traumatic event with yeasted breads and are looking for a redemption arc, I'd suggest looking for this book at your library.

Focaccia has trended towards big, bubbly, open-crumb behemoths in recent years. This was a fun topic on KAF's Things Bakers Know podcast.

My focaccia goes against this trend (hipsters are back too). There's a few peaks and valleys, but the crumb is pretty even and tight, and it's not unreasonably tall.

It's a slab, perfect for sandwiches, which I'd recommend trying, hot or cold. If they look overloaded and too tall, you're doing it right. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and gently smoosh down to compress and distribute the goodness. Don't skip this step!