So here is the sponge for our focaccia. (I feel like I'm appearing on Baker's Dozen on Food Network.) The sponge has been fermenting for two hours; it is nice and bubbly, and much less stiff, much more batter-like. This would be okay to use as is, but I think I'll let it ripen for about another 1/2 hour. The optimum point of use is when the surface just starts to pucker in on itself, looking like it will collapse any minute. Eventually, of course, it *will* collapse, and then it will be useless for raising your dough or giving it a nice flavor, but don't worry, dear friends, we're nowhere close to that point.
I have scaled the rest of the ingredients, so that once the sponge is ready, I can mix it up fast, put it up to ferment, and then post all the pictures what will be taken. (We'll be right back. 
Oh, just wait. It gets better and better. Mind you, I think that nothing beats the smell of freshly-mixed dough. The flour I use has barley malt added to it to keep it enzymatically balanced (which I will not go into now because that’s more kitchen science than anyone except a hardcore breadhead needs), and oh god, the way that this smells when mixed—it’s so clean and gorgeous, it would make you cry.
And bunni, my love—you have Neuhaus chocolates! I’ve been eating Robert’s American Gourmet Chaos all morning! But if you really want a focaccia, I’ll bake you one when you come over for the Comic Strip box set marathon.