Fat, and the cold#
Focaccia. 78% water, 2% salt, and olive oil in three separate places.
Where 75 g of oil goes#
500 g of flour. Where each gram of it ends up.
| Where | How much | Doing what |
|---|---|---|
| In the mix | 25 g | Films the gluten, softens the crumb |
| Under the dough | 30 g | Carries heat into the base |
| Over the top | 20 g | Keeps the top soft while the base browns |
15% of flour weight on the bread. Only 5% of it is in the bread, which is why this still counts as lean.
The pan oil is the heat path#
Metal, then a film of oil, then dough. No air gap anywhere along it.
It pools at the edges and under every dimple, deepest where you pressed hardest. Those are the spots that colour first.
Cold is not a pause button#
24 to 48 hours at 4 °C
Both slow down. One slows further.#
- yeast gas production at 4 °C: around 5–10% of its 26 °C rate
- amylase and protease: slowed, nothing like as far
- so maltose and amino acids pile up faster than the yeast can burn them
Volume arrives anyway. Flavour is what the other 45 hours are for.
Warm it before you touch it#
Cold dough → oiled pan → 60–90 minutes → 18–20 °C.
Dimple at 4 °C and the dough is stiff, resists and tears. Dimple at 19 °C and it takes the print.
Pour the brine the moment it clouds#
20 g water · 20 g oil · 2 g salt. Whisked hard, it holds together for about a minute, then the oil floats again.
Twenty grams of water is the whole reason the top stays pale and soft. Oil on its own would simply fry it.
Three ways it fails#
| What you see | What happened |
|---|---|
| The dough tears under your fingers | Dimpled straight from the fridge |
| The dimples close over | Under-proofed — the gluten still had spring |
| Pale, greasy base | Too little pan oil, or an oven under 220 °C |