I could eat just focaccia for a meal. Seriously, I need nothing else. If you’re having a bad day and eat this, it simply can’t be bad anymore. There is something so incredibly satisfying about this crisp, airy, dimpled bread. The olive oil just adds layers of richness while the herby rosemary and crunchy sea salt leave nothing to be desired. Making this is a time commitment but I promise, it is so easy.
What to Notice
- This is one of the times you’ll hear me say you should actually measure. Bread can be finicky. You can however get experimental with the toppings. Try another herb if you don’t like rosemary. Or skip the herbs altogether and try another addition like roasted grapes or olives!
Servings: 12 Servings
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 360 grams bread flour roughly 3 cups
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm-to-hot water about 100-110 degrees F
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Baking Pan & Topping:
- 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt I like Maldon
Instructions
- Add your yeast and sugar to a glass measuring cup and mix in the warm water. Cover with a towel and let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes until nice and foamy on the top.
- Weigh out your flour if you have a kitchen scale and place in a large mixing bowl with the kosher salt. Add your yeast and water mixture along with the olive oil and bring together with a rubber spatula until well combined. Cover with a clean towel for 15 minutes.
First Stretch:
- Remove the towel and with a slightly wet hand pull a handful of dough out from the middle, stretching it outward, then plopping it back into the center. Be careful not to rip the dough. Make your way around the entirety of the dough with this same motion, it will take about 8-12 section pulls to make your way around. Using a wet hand will help prevent the dough from sticking to your hand. Put the towel back over top and let it rest for another 15 minutes. This is stretch 1 of 4.
Second Stretch:
- Repeat the same stretching and plopping pattern as before. Cover and rest for another 15 minutes.
Third Stretch:
- Repeat the stretch and plopping pattern. Cover and rest for another 15 minutes.
Fourth Strech:
- You’re in the final stretch. Repeat the stretch and plopping pattern. Cover and rest for one hour.
- After an hour your dough should be doubled in size and soft and marshmallowey. It’s time to prepare your baking pan. I love to bake focaccia in cast iron because it gives it a crisper bottom while leaving the top and insides pillowey. I use an 8-inch square cast iron pan. Grease the bottom and sides liberally with softened butter. Then, for extra reassurance, cut two thick strips of parchment paper and lay them down so they intersect in the pan. These will act as handles to help pull your bread out of the pan when its finished. Add one teaspoon of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and carefully transfer your dough to the pan. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and set aside to rest for another hour. Towards the end of this hour, turn your oven onto 475 degrees.
- Once the hour is up, drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the dough and use your fingers to gently but firmly make dimples all throughout the top of the dough. It will start to bubble up as you do this. Top with your rosemary and sea salt and bake for 20-25 minutes until nicely golden brown.
