Bread making is one of the toughest items to conquer as a baker, but when I see renowned chefs sharing methods and cutting corners to achieve bakery-worthy loaves, I just have to try it. Baking bread requires patience and impeccable skills for balancing all the ingredients.

Nagi Maehashi’s 'Quick and Dirty Focaccia' only needs four ingredients and three minutes of effort. The chef, better known as Recipe Tine Eats on social media, explained that adding extra hydration to the bread dough will help to speed up the proving process, so you don’t have to wait an age for the focaccia to be done. Typically focaccia can take anywhere from one to 14 hours for the first proof, either at room temperature or in the fridge.

But Nagi’s recipe cuts out any drawn-out waiting time, needing a total of two hours and 45 minutes. She explained that a high hydration dough - this one is 93% - helps to activate the yeast and speed up the proofing process, and also results in a softer, chewier bread.

This recipe is a great way to introduce bread-making to novices, as the preparation does actually take minutes to complete. Make sure the flour is sifted correctly, as any lumps could leave a burst of flour in your mouth.

It’s also incredibly important to keep an eye on the wetness of the dough - something I learned the hard way. My first attempt at Nagi’s focaccia fell short by a country mile.

My first dough was far too wet and failed to rise by the desired 50% in the second proof. This meant that when it hit the oven, it shrank and shrivelled to a slab of hard bread. Breadstick, anyone?

There was no height and virtually any bubbles synonymous with a focaccia. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t let it be my final result.

During take two, I gradually added the very warm water bit by bit, slowly mixing it in with the dry ingredients to test out the dough’s stickiness. Fortunately, take two resulted in a dough more akin to actual dough rather than Plaster of Paris-esque sludge.

This dough continued to thrive, rising beautifully and forming loads of “jiggly bubbles”. The dough will be sticky, so make sure you avoid touching it without oiled fingers.

The second proof definitely worked better, pleasing my soul. A 25-minute bake is all that’s needed, despite my crust not being as golden as Nagi’s. I daren’t give it longer for fear of it shrinking and becoming a concrete slab.

The result? A chewy, bubbly inside that’s fluffy and bounced back like a spring. While the crust is slightly pale and doesn’t ring out that sensual crunch, it tasted unbelievable.

Nagi’s focaccia, when done correctly, is like eating a pillow of doughy goodness. As someone who’s confident making cake, biscuits and plenty of pastry, bread continues to terrify me. I think I’ll stick to cakes…

Ingredients

• 300g bread flour (sub plain/all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/8 tsp (3.5g) instant yeast
• 3/4 tsp (4.5g) cooking salt / kosher salt (-50% for table salt, + 50% for salt flakes)
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp (280 ml / 280g) very warm water

For the topping

• 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 heaped tsp sea salt flakes (or regular salt, couple of pinches)

Method

Mix flour, yeast and salt. Make well, pour in water, mix.

Cover, rise in a warm place for two hours until doubled in size. Grease 26.6 x 20 x 5cm (10.5 x 8 x 2″) or 22cm/9″ square metal pan with butter, press in paper with overhang (scrunch first).

Drizzle base with extra virgin olive oil, scrape batter in (do not deflate beforehand). Coax into corners as best you can. Cover with a cutting board, rise 45 minutes by 50%.

Drizzle oil on the surface then spread with oiled fingers. Lightly dimple – don’t poke more than 1cm/0.4” in.

Sprinkle with salt flakes, bake for 25 minutes at 220°C/425°F (200°C fan), rotating at the 15-minute mark. Cool on a rack for ten minutes, then dig in.