Focaccia’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. Once virtually unknown, it is now in bread baskets and on menus across the country. With that kind of spotlight on focaccia, it’s no wonder there are now countless recipes in books and on the internet for this yeasted and seasoned bread. But for every delicious focaccia, there are countless bland versions that give this Italian bread a bad name. In this online cooking class, we will teach you how to work with yeast and produce a biga—the secret to focaccia’s great flavor (and other yeasted breads too). You will discover what an autolyse is, and how to fold the dough to develop gluten, ensuring a structure that bakes up into an open, rustic crumb with irregular bubbles and a perfect balance of tenderness and chew. Find out what equipment works best (we use a baking stone and cake pan) and how to shop for and store yeast.