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5 cups bread flour
1 envelope active dry yeast (about 1 1/2tsp.)
2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups warm, water
coarse or flaky sea salt
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil for pan
1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil for topping.
**Additionally you can top sparingly, with any of the suggestions below, adding just before baking
halved kalamata olives
chopped spring onions
fresh chopped rosemary
caramelized onions
thinly sliced fresh garlic
Trader Joe’s Soffritto spice blend
halved cherry tomatoes
parmesan cheese
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook add the flour yeast salt. Stir just to combine then add the water. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. This will be a very loose sticky dough. Remove the bowl from the mixer, remove the hook, and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm spot for approximately 30 minutes.
Uncover. Now dip your hand in a bit of oil or water. Hold the bowl with one hand and with the wet hand grab the farthest edge of the dough, stretching and gathering towards the middle. Keep rotating the bowl, stretching and gathering to the middle till all the edges of the dough have now been folded into the center. Now cover it again and let rest till doubled in size. This should take 30-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Take a large, rimmed baking sheet pan, and coat the entire bottom and sides with 4 Tbsp olive oil. Now using a spatula turn the risen, still very sticky dough out onto the pan using the spatula to help get it all out of the bowl. Working gently, using your oiled hands work the dough out towards the edges of the pan.
Be carful to not smash down all the beautiful air bubbles. No worries if it springs back and doesn’t make it all the way to the edge of the pan. Let rest for an additional 30 minutes. Now using your oiled fingertips make indentations in the dough all the way so that it looks like deep dimples.
Now top your focaccia with a generous drizzle of olive oil and the coarse salt. You can at this point also top with any of the other ingredients mentioned. Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Use a spatula to loosen it from the bottom if needed, slice and enjoy.
