Everybody dimples their focaccia. Almost nobody knows why.

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Ask around and you'll hear it's for looks. Those little craters give it that rustic Italian thing. Fine. But that's the smallest part of the job.

Here's what the dimples are actually doing.

1️⃣ They kill the dome. Your focaccia is full of big gas pockets after proofing. Put it in the oven untouched and those pockets expand and the whole slab puffs up in the middle like a pillow. You get a bread. You didn't want a bread. You wanted focaccia. Pressing your fingers down to the pan pops the biggest bubbles and pins the dough flat so it rises up around them instead of over them. That's how you get an even slab with an open, irregular crumb instead of a tall one with a dead spot in the center.

2️⃣ They build wells for the oil. Dimples aren't dents. They're cups. Pour olive oil over a flat surface and it runs off the edges. Pour it into a dimpled surface and it pools. That pooled oil is what actually gives you the crackly, almost fried top. Focaccia isn't baked. The top of it is shallow-fried in place while the bottom bakes. No wells, no pools, no fry.

3️⃣ They're a proof check you get for free. Push a finger in. If the dough fights back and the dimple springs shut, it's underproofed. Give it more time. If it sighs and stays put, you're there. If it deflates and goes slack, you went too far. You're reading fermentation with your hand.

The part where people get it wrong: they dimple like they're afraid of the dough. Little polite pokes at the surface. Go all the way down. Fingers to the pan, oiled up so you don't stick. It looks violent. It's supposed to.

So: what are you topping yours with this week? Rosemary and flake salt is the classic. But I've seen thin-sliced potato, cherry tomatoes pressed in whole, red onion, olives, roasted garlic. Drop it below. I'm collecting ideas.

Focaccia recipes are in the Pantry, free, no ads: skoo.ly/s/recipe-pantry

Perfection is not required. Progress is.

Henry ⭐🔥

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Everybody dimples their focaccia. Almost nobody knows why.