What is dimpling?

Pressing your fingertips deep into proofed focaccia dough just before baking — all the way down to the bottom of the pan, leaving deep pockmarks across the surface. Does three things simultaneously: it breaks up the largest fermentation bubbles (which would otherwise turn into a single oversized hole during baking), creates dimples that hold olive oil and flaky salt so the toppings don't all slide off the top, and produces the signature pocked, golden-brown surface that defines focaccia visually. Dimple aggressively — focaccia rebounds during the final oven spring, and shallow dimples disappear entirely.