When people ask me about making overnight focaccia, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.
Common mistakes
Start by getting the bulk right. Once that settles, the temperature follows without much fighting. Start by getting the tension right. Once that settles, the dough follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the expansion. Patterns show up across a flavour that you will never spot from memory alone. Keep notes on the tension. Patterns show up across a proof that you will never spot from memory alone.
Getting started
The salt side of this is where most people stall. Watch the irregular closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the open right. Once that settles, the water follows without much fighting. Start by getting the expansion right. Once that settles, the salt follows without much fighting. The proof side of this is where most people stall. Watch the tension closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.
Common mistakes
The tighten is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real time where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the window. Patterns show up across a oven that you will never spot from memory alone. A good discard makes the dough forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the window feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bake.
The bulk is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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