When "Food Guy" Greg Patent, who had been sitting on a bottle of Ligurian extra virgin olive oil - made with black Taggiasca olives and wrapped up to protect it from the ravages of daylight - discovered food writer Samim Nosrat's Netflix series, "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," serendipity struck in the form of Nosrat's recipe for Ligurian focaccia. The Liguria region of northern Italy produces some of Italy's most flavorful olive oil. Taggiasca olives create an intensely fruity oil that works especially well in breads and cakes.
This focaccia's dough has a high hydration level: 600 g. of water to 800 g. of flour. It's easy to make.
In a small bowl, stir together lukewarm water, yeast and honey. In a very large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir, cover, and leave the dough at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours, till it doubles in volume.
Fold the risen dough onto an oiled, rimmed baking sheet, pour more olive oil on top, gently stretch the dough to the pan's edges, dimple it with your fingers, and pour a brine of salt water over the top. Let it rise for another 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F, and just before baking, sprinkle the dough with more salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and drizzle it with more olive oil, which will soak into the hot bread. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
(Broadcast: "The Food Guys," 1/13/19. Listen weekly on the radio at 11:50 a.m. Sundays, or via podcast.)