No-knead Focaccia - Parāoa Pokapoka Kore-Poke

A delicious and fluffy no-knead focaccia bread with flavours of garlic, honey, thyme and lemon.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tbsp noni (oil).
• 1 1/2 C (375 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp mīere (honey, this can be swapped for maple syrup or sugar)
• 2 tsp (6 g) īhi tere (instant yeast)
• 3 C (450 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
• 1 tsp tote (salt, fine)
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) noni (oil)
• 4 kāriki (garlic cloves)
• 2 tsp mīere (honey or maple syrup)
• Tote me te pepa (salt and pepper)
• Kiri rēmana pīrahirahi (finely grated lemon zest, of two lemons)
• 15 g tāima (thyme)
• 2 tbsp noni (oil)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Prepare the Cast Iron Pan or Oven Tray: ---
2. 2Oil a 23 cm cast iron pan or a 25 cm x 30 cm tray with 2 Tbsp of noni (oil). Rub it all over so every part of this pan or tray is covered.
3. 3--- Activate the Yeast: ---
4. 4Add the wai aromahana (lukewarm water) and mīere (honey) in a to a large bowl. Stir it until the honey has dissolved.
5. 5Sprinkle over the īhi tere (instant yeast), stir, leave for 5 mins to activate. The īhi (yeast) has activated when it has floated to the top.
6. 6--- Add the remaining Ingredients: ---
7. 7Add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir with a knife for 1 minute until the ingredients are all combined. It will look sticky but just trust the process.
8. 8--- First Rise: ---
9. 9Cover with a tea towel or bowl cover and leave for 15 - 20 minutes.
10. 10--- First Stretch and Fold: ---
11. 11It is time to stretch and fold the dough. Take a handful of the dough from down the side of the bowl, pull the dough up as high as it can go and place it in the centre of the bowl. 1/4 turn the bowl and repeat the process.
12. 12Every time you place the dough in the centre of the bowl and quarter turn the dough, is one count. Stretch and fold 12-15 times. It should take a minute to do.
13. 13--- Second Rise: ---
14. 14Cover the dough and leave for 15 - 20 minutes.
15. 15--- Second Stretch and Fold: ---
16. 16Repeat the stretch and folding process for the second time, completing 12 - 15 stretch and folds.
17. 17--- Third Rise: ---
18. 18Cover the dough and leave for 15 - 20 minutes.
19. 19--- Third and Final Stretch and Fold: ---
20. 20Stretch and fold 12 - 15 times in the bowl a third and final time.
21. 21--- Transfer to the Dough: ---
22. 22Add the dough into the oiled pan and gently stretch it out, I do this by rubbing my hands underneath the dough to gently tease it out. Refer to the video for clarity.
23. 23--- Fourth and Final Rise: ---
24. 24Cover and rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
25. 25Before the time is up, prepare your toppings. Note: Focaccia doesn't have to have toppings, you can keep it plain and drizzle with a bit of noni (oil) and tote (salt). The options are endless - choose what you love!
26. 26--- Prepare the Toppings: ---
27. 27Add the kāriki (garlic), mīere (honey), tote (salt), pepa (pepper) and kiri rēmana (lemon zest) in to a mortar and pestle. Smoosh it all together until a paste forms. If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can just cut everything finely on to a chopping board.
28. 28--- Preheat the Oven: ---
29. 29Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
30. 30--- Add the Toppings to the Dough: ---
31. 31When the dough has risen, add the delicious paste all over the dough.
32. 32Pull the fresh tāima (thyme) from its sprigs and add evenly all over the dough. Drizzle over the noni ōriwa (olive oil).
33. 33--- Dimple the Dough: ---
34. 34Once the toppings are added, press your fingers deeply into the dough, pressing the flavour right to the bottom. Leave for 5 - 10 minutes.
35. 35--- Bake the No-knead Focaccia Bread: ---
36. 36Slide in the delicious parāoa (bread) and bake for 5 minutes at 220 °C.Then turn it down to 170 °C, bake for 25 more minutes.
37. 37Slide it out of the pan while still hot and eat warm. This is perfect to go alongside any meal.
38. 38--- Storing the Focaccia Bread: ---
39. 39This parāoa (bread) will be at its best on the day but will also make great toast or epic toasties the next day.
40. 40I keep homemade bread in a plastic bag for a day on the bench. Beyond that I slice it and store it in the freezer and remove a piece at a time for toasting.