This is my favorite bread that I’ve ever made. The texture, moisture and flavor are perfectly balanced. You could dress it up a little by topping with grape tomatoes, olives, chopped garlic, fresh rosemary or grated cheese before baking.
To make this #dinnerdoneby9am I fully bake ahead of time and pop the bread back in the oven to re-heat for 10 minutes just before serving.
-1 3/4 cups warm water
-1 Tbsp active dry yeast
-1 Tbsp sugar
-5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
-1 Tbsp dried rosemary
-1 Tbsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
-1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
In a small bowl, stir the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the water. Put the bowl in a warm place for 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, rosemary, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel dampened with warm water and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
Coat a 13×9 pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Put the dough into the pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough.
Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with sea salt. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.
