Cheddar Jalapeño Oat Focaccia

Steps

1. Soak the oats: stir the oats into 100 g of the lukewarm water and let stand 10 minutes until softened.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, instant yeast and salt.
3. Add the soaked oats, the remaining 280 g of lukewarm water, 10 g of the honey and 15 g of the olive oil. Mix until a shaggy, sticky dough forms with no dry flour, about 2 minutes. This is about 84% hydration and 2% salt.
4. Fold in 100 g of the cheddar until evenly spread through the dough.
5. Cover and let rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 1 1/2 hours, doing a set of stretch-and-folds with wet hands every 30 minutes, until doubled in size and bubbly.
6. Coat a 9x13-inch metal pan with 20 g of the olive oil. Turn the dough into the pan and gently stretch it toward the corners; if it springs back, rest 10 minutes and stretch again.
7. Cover and proof at about 75°F (24°C) for 45 minutes, until puffy and it springs back slowly when poked. Near the end, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
8. Whisk the remaining 15 g of olive oil with the remaining 5 g of honey. Dimple the dough deeply with oiled fingers, then drizzle the oil-honey mixture over the top.
9. Scatter the jalapeño and the remaining 50 g of cheddar over the dough and sprinkle with the black pepper.
10. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden and glossy and the center reads 190–210°F (88–99°C).
11. Lift the focaccia from the pan onto a rack and cool at least 20 minutes before cutting into 12 slices.