Is that parchment paper on the bottom of your pie pan? If so, why do you use it there?
Looks more like the pattern of a marble surface.
Yes, Naf was right, just the reflection of the granite thru the glass pie dish.
I am finally attempting that foccacia. Can anyone tell me what will happen if I use regular active yeast? I already made the sponge. Will there be issues? Any adjustments I should make?
Might take a little longer to get going but if your sponge is sitting for 8-24 hours, I don’t know how much difference it makes. Rapid-rise for a slow proof, isn’t that contradictory? 
1 Like
That was my thought. There is more yeast in the main dough though…maybe I should let that rise a bit longer, like 45 minutes?
Yeast doughs are not an exact science to begin with. Much depends on temp & humidity, even altitude can affect rise. Instead of times, go by how much it’s increased in volume, whether the dough springs back or not, that sort of thing. As long as you don’t kill the yeast, focaccia is pretty forgiving.
1 Like
@ChristinaM - just wondering what book has the focaccia recipe you used? Did it turn out well for you?
Based on the font, looks like a Cook’s Illustrated recipe.
1 Like
Still fermenting the sponge…
FWIW, I simply use the NYT 18hour recipe. It certainly works for me, creating a slab that is pretty close to my idol, Liguria Bakery. So simple. After the normal 18 hour rise, oil a sheet pan. Stretch out dough. Let rise an hour. Sauce and dimple. Bake. Superb!
6 Likes
I’ll be doing this next.
My CI recipe was somewhat of a flop. I think the rise time in the baking pan must be way too short? I allowed 5-10 min and it was somewhat crackery and crisp after baking, especially along the edges. It was about half as thick as I would have liked. Maybe I should have followed the directions re: using two cake rounds, but that seemed silly when it’s normally baked on a half sheet. I also let my sponge go a fourth day due to poor planning, but the flavor was good and it didn’t have problems with the three rises described. Hrmm…
I wonder about the no-knead method here. Maybe it needs more kneading to develop gluten for structure?
I was very careful to fold the dough gently, and it seemed to rise well each time. Not sure why it turned out so…flat!
1 Like
Time-out!
What recipe are we talking about?
I’ve tracked back x months and found a CI recipe about choclolate chip cookies? Pecans instead of walnuts? Ina Garten?
I had this happen once with a different recipe, think it had over risen.
I like Jim Lahey’s recipe for simplicity.
What’s weird is this one had me add a whole teaspoon of fresh yeast for the second part of the dough. And it seemed normal with rising and folding 
