Here is what I have been using for making focaccia in my pizza oven lately. This involves a biga which is a starter slurry you prepare in advance. I like to start this 24 hours before bake time.

Yields 2 12" focaccia

biga

• 1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 4 ounces water, preferably without chlorine (filtered)
• 5 ounces type 00 all-purpose flour

Type 00 is a very fine flour in Italian baking. It handles exceptionally well and lends itself well to an airy focaccia.

Mix in a large bowl, or something like a half-gallon mason jar. Place in the refrigerator. Eight hours before baking time, bring out to room temperature.

bread

• 1 biga
• 8 ounces warm water, preferably without chlorine (filtered)
• 1 tsp salt
• 18 ounces type 00 all-purpose flour
• Olive oil, from pure to extra virgin. Recommend pure for first time. This will be slathered on top
• More salt, to taste.
• Semolina flour for the pizza peel

At some point in all this you want a pizza oven with a floor temperature a little under 600F. I can't tell you how long that'll take you. For me I can do that in about 50 minutes.

Since your bread machine probably doesn't have directions for a biga, I recommend this: Dump biga and water together in bottom of the pan, followed by the teaspoon of salt, followed by the flour. Mix the dough, but do not allow it to bake. Split into two even parts on a rolling board. Wad into a ball, pulling one exposed side taught by squishing the backside of it inside itself. Rest on board with taught side up. You can roll initially to start flattening it, but I soon recommend lifting up the dough and wringing it between your hands, lightly pulling it apart, until you can begin to see light through it but not distinct objects. Somewhere around a half-inch thickness will do.

Sprinkle semolina on a paddle, place the dough on the semolina, and shake vigorously to ensure the dough can move freely of the paddle; it should not stick. Spread oil and any extra salt over the top, then stab at the focaccia with your fingers. Get that oil off your hands and then drop in a pizza oven. It should take around five minutes, but this now is very relative. You'll want to start turning the focaccia regularly as soon as at least one side is showing signs of turning golden.

Let rest at 15 minutes before cutting.