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Just Fresh Milled
Recipe
bread
intermediate

Fresh-Milled Focaccia (High-Hydration Hard White Wheat)

Written by Updated Kitchen-tested by Danielle on a Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill, .

Prep

30 min

Bake

25 min

Total time

55 min

Hydration

88%

A deeply dimpled high-hydration focaccia glossy with olive oil, one corner cut away showing an open bubbly interior.

Use 88% hydration, autolyse for 60 minutes, and cold-ferment 18–24 hours to make a tender, open-crumb focaccia entirely from fresh-milled hard white wheat.

Key Takeaways

  • Hard white wheat has a milder flavor than red wheat — ideal when you want the olive oil and toppings to lead.
  • Long cold ferment (18–24 hours in the fridge) is non-negotiable for tender crumb at this hydration with fresh-milled flour.
  • Olive oil in the pan and on top is what creates the signature crisp, golden bottom and dimpled top.
  • Bake hot (450°F) on a preheated steel or stone for the best lift and bottom crust.

About this recipe

A pillowy, dimpled focaccia made from 100% fresh-milled hard white wheat. High hydration and a long cold ferment soften the bran into a crumb that rivals 00 flour focaccia.

Ingredients

  • freshly milled hard white wheat flour500 g (about 4 cups)
  • warm water (90°F)440 g (1⅞ cups)
  • instant yeast3 g (1 tsp)
  • fine sea salt12 g (2¼ tsp)
  • extra-virgin olive oil60 g (¼ cup) — divided
  • flaky sea salt and rosemaryfor topping

Instructions

  1. 1

    Mill 500 g hard white wheat berries on the finest setting and let cool for 5 minutes.

  2. 2

    Mix flour and water until no dry flour remains. Cover and autolyse 60 minutes.

  3. 3

    Add yeast, salt, and 20 g olive oil. Mix on low 5 minutes — the dough will be very slack; this is correct.

  4. 4

    Bulk ferment 90 minutes at 75°F with three stretch-and-folds 30 minutes apart.

  5. 5

    Transfer to an oiled container; cold-ferment 18–24 hours in the refrigerator.

  6. 6

    Pour 30 g olive oil into a 9×13 inch pan. Tip in the dough and gently stretch toward the corners. Cover and proof 2 hours at room temp until puffy.

  7. 7

    Drizzle remaining 10 g olive oil over the top. Dimple aggressively with oiled fingertips, then top with flaky salt and rosemary.

  8. 8

    Bake at 450°F on a preheated steel for 22–26 minutes until deeply golden. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.

fresh milled baking basics — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.

Learn about this grain: Hard White Wheat guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Hard White Wheat recipes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. At 88% hydration with fresh-milled flour, the dough should feel like soft pudding. Use wet hands and a bench scraper, and trust the cold ferment to develop structure.

Not at this hydration. The 18–24 hour cold rest is what softens the bran and develops flavor. A same-day version is possible at 75% hydration with a 4-hour bulk.

Either not enough oil in the pan, or the oven was not hot enough. Use 30 g olive oil minimum, and bake on a preheated steel or stone at 450°F.

Three things: hit 88% hydration, do all three stretch-and-folds, and dimple firmly before baking — push your fingers nearly to the pan.

No. Add olive oil, salt, and herbs after the room-temperature proof, right before baking. Toppings added earlier interfere with proofing and pull moisture from the dough.