DAY 1:

• First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm spot to at least double in volume. We typically feed our starter in a ratio of 1 part starter: 1 part water: 1 part flour, and it doubles (or even triples) within 4 hours.

Fermentolyse and Mixing The Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, water and active sourdough starter. Mix on low speed for a few minutes, until the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to fermentolyse for an hour.
• After an hour, scatter the salt over the dough and drizzle in the 35ml olive oil. Using your hands, squish the salt and oil into the dough, aiming to distribute both evenly. Don't be tempted to just mix the oil in by running the stand mixer — the dough will split, separated by oil layers.
• Once incorporated, run your mixer on medium speed for 10-12 minutes, until you have a very smooth and elastic dough. It will be wet, but it should start gathering around the dough hook.

Coil Folds, Bulk Fermentation, Cold Proof

• Scoop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave in a warm place (21-24°C) for 30 minutes.
• Over the next 3 hours, at 30-minute intervals, perform a set of coil folds using wet hands — six sets in total.
• Cover the dough and let it finish its bulk fermentation undisturbed for 1.5-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. You're looking for a 50-60% rise, visible bubbles, and a soft, jiggly texture.
• Place the dough in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours (or simply overnight).

DAY 2:

Dividing and Second Proof

• Generously oil each hole of your muffin pan using the reserved 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil — you want a proper pool in the base of each one, not just a light coating. This is what gives the base of each focaccia that crisp, almost-fried edge.
• Tip the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and divide it into 12 equal(ish) pieces (roughly 70-75g each). Use oiled hands to shape each piece into a loose round and drop it into an oiled muffin hole.
• Cover loosely with large bag (make sure the top doesn;t touch the dough) or an inverted large roasting tray and leave it in a warm spot to proof for 1-1.5 hours, until each portion has puffed up and domed nicely above the rim of the tin.

Topping and Baking

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Oil your fingers and dimple the top of each focaccia all the way down to the base, the same way you would with a full tray.
• Top each one with whatever you please — see Notes below for what I used, but this is very much a mix-and-match bake.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, until deep golden brown on top and crisp at the edges. Individual portions bake faster than a full tray, so start checking at 15 minutes rather than assuming the full time — ovens vary and you know yours better than I do.
• Leave the focaccias in the tin for 5-10 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack. Cool for a few more minutes before eating — they're best served slightly warm.