Homemade Focaccia Recipe - Autolyse Method (video)

[Warpy]

4. I long ago discovered the joys of lazy cook's bread using wet dough

and a long period of time to allow the flour to absorb as much moisture as it can while the yeast goes to work eating the carbs and puffing up the gluten with CO2. Gentle handling and only enough flour at the end to keep the dough from sticking as you pat it into shape will result in a coarse crumbed, light peasant sort of bread that makes great toast. Rougher handling with more flour will result in something dense and chewy with little oven spring. Both are wonderful, it just depends on what you're looking for.

I would probably not punch this down a third time in the pan, I'd want it a bit lighter than this. I also use cornmeal on the bottom instead of oil or butter, it doesn't stick that way and the cornmeal toasts along with the crust and gives it extra crunch and flavor.