Flatbreads like focaccia are very forgiving—you don’t need to be an expert baker to create this crispy-on-the-outside, spongy-on-the-inside Italian classic. In fact, it’s the perfect beginner recipe to take the mystery out of dough-making. Plus, you can customize the toppings to your taste—slivered onions are at the top of the list for many. Leftover squares can be sliced horizontally and turned into panini.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for dipping
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 cups all-purpose, bread, or 00 flour, plus more for kneading
- Provençal Rosemary
- Very coarse sea salt
Directions
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the yeast, water, and honey for a few seconds. Allow the yeast to bloom (get foamy), about 5 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the fine salt, and flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. The dough will still be somewhat sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl as you lift it. If it’s too sticky to handle, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, bloom the yeast, water, and honey in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and then the flour, mixing with a large spatula and then with your hands. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured countertop, flour your hands, and knead until smooth, about 7 minutes.
Step 2
Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a clean, large bowl. With lightly floured hands, form the dough into a ball and roll it in the olive oil. Place the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour. (If you poke it with a fingertip, it should spring back right away.)
Step 3
Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 13×9 metal cake pan and rotate the pan to coat it well. Punch down the dough and turn it into the pan. Use your fingertips to press it out to the edges and into the corners of the pan. Use your fingertips or knuckles to make a pattern of indentations in the dough. Cover the pan with your kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450°F.
Step 4
Just before baking, go over the indentations if needed. Drizzle the final 2 tablespoons of oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle on the rosemary needles and coarse salt as desired. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the focaccia is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut and serve with olive oil for dipping.
Yields 10 generous servings