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Journey Overview

This is the red-eye flight of breadmaking — an overnight journey with a long layover for fermentation. You start the dough in the evening, let it rest and rise slowly through the night, then wake to dimpled, olive-oil-slicked dough ready for its final departure. By lunchtime, you'll have cloud-like focaccia with a crispy bottom and herb-scented top that makes the 24-hour journey completely worth it.

Sourdough focaccia is forgiving, even for bread rookies. The high hydration dough is wet and sticky — too slack to knead — but that's what gives you those airy, irregular holes inside. You just mix, fold a few times, and let time do the work. The starter adds flavour and structure, the long fermentation develops complexity, and the generous olive oil makes it impossible to mess up.

When you pull it from the oven, golden and crackling with rosemary and sea salt, you'll understand why some journeys need to be slow. This bread is worth the wait — chewy, fluffy, deeply savoury, perfect for tearing and sharing. Long-haul breadmaking at its best.

Passenger Manifest (Ingredients)

Flight Plan (Instructions)

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, and starter. Mix with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).

2. Add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix thoroughly, then perform a series of stretch-and-folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over. Rotate the bowl and repeat 4 times. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

3. Repeat the stretch-and-fold process two more times, with 30-minute rests between each. After the final fold, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (12-18 hours).

4. The next morning, pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 23x33cm baking pan. Turn the dough out onto the oiled pan and gently stretch it to the edges. If it resists, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again. Cover and proof at room temperature for 2-3 hours until puffy and doubled.

5. Preheat your oven to 220°C. Drizzle the dough generously with more olive oil. Use your fingers to dimple the entire surface, pressing down to create deep pockets. Press in the rosemary sprigs and tomato halves. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden on top and crispy on the bottom. The surface should be cratered and glistening.

7. Remove from the oven and drizzle with a final glug of olive oil. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Your overnight journey has landed — airy, aromatic, absolutely worth the wait.

Flight Metrics (Nutrition)