You will need: Fireclay stones
Top heat: approx. 300-350°C
Preheating: approx. 30 minutes
Working hours: 25 minutes
Baking time: ca. 25 minutes

Ingredients:
(for 2-4 pieces)

The evening before:
For the starter dough:

• 500 g wheat flour type 405, pizza flour type 00 or Manitoba flour
• 500 ml water (27°C)
• 4 g fresh yeast (room temperature)
  

On baking day:
For the dough:

• 250 ml water (38°C)
• 500 g wheat flour type 405, pizza flour type 00 or Manitoba flour
• 20 g salt

For the coating: e.g.

• blue grapes and sage leaves
• Herb olives, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions and thyme leaves
• sliced boiled potatoes, zucchini slices, ground black pepper and chopped rosemary

In addition:

• Olive oil
• Sea salt flakes

The evening before:
For the starter dough:

Pour the water into a large bowl. (The pre-dough rises very quickly!) Crumble the yeast over it and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until the ingredients are well combined. Cover the bowl and leave to stand overnight at room temperature.

On baking day:
For the dough:

Place the flour and salt in the mixing bowl of the food processor and mix. Add the water to the pre-dough. (This will help it to separate easily from the bowl.) Add the pre-dough and water to the flour.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic and the ingredients are well combined. If you knead the dough with your hands, this process takes approx. 10 minutes.
(Tip: keep dipping your hands in cold water to prevent the dough from sticking everywhere).


Place the dough in a large oiled bowl or proofing tray, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for approx. 5-6 hours until it has at least doubled in volume. Fold twice within the first hour to make the dough firmer. (Also wet your hands before folding).


Spread some flour on the work surface for portioning. (Alternatively, you can add a little olive oil to the work surface.) Carefully remove the dough from the bowl using the dough card and tip it out onto the work surface. To preserve the gas bubbles, do not knead or work the dough. Carefully cut off 2-4 equal pieces with the dough card and shape each into a ball. Place these on oiled trays or in oiled molds. Brush the dough pieces with olive oil, cover with foil and leave to rise for a further 3 hours at room temperature.


Heat the Merklinger to approx. 300-350°C.


Now carefully stretch the dough a little. Pour a little more olive oil over it and press deep dents into it with your fingers. Top as desired and leave to rest for another 10 minutes.
Place the tins or trays directly on the firebrick and bake the focaccia for approx. 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the Merklinger and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes while still hot.

Tip: You can also bake the focaccia directly on the firebrick without using tins or trays. To do this, sprinkle the Merklinger serving boards well with semolina and leave the dough balls to rise directly on the boards, covered.