Posted on by Lia Fireheart

Rosemary Focaccia

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So I actually didn’t love this as a focaccia recipe. It’s good flatbread, but it seems like the better focaccia recipes have you refrigerate the dough overnight or some other permutation to develop the flavor and texture. I did like the resulting bread and it’s very very fast, but if you’re craving FOCACCIA, this isn’t gonna do the job.

Rosemary Focaccia

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup warm water (about 110°F)

  • 2 teaspoons sugar or honey

  • 1 (0.25 ounce) package active-dry yeast

  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling*

  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions

  • Proof the yeast. Add warm water (about 110°F, which you can measure with a thermometer if you want to be sure it’s the right temp) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy.
  • Knead the dough. (See alternate instructions below to knead by hand.) Set the mixer to low speed, and add gradually flour, olive oil and salt. Increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 5 minutes. (If the dough is too sticky and isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add in an extra 1/4 cup flour while it is mixing.)
  • First dough rise. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Place in a warm location (I set mine by a sunny window) and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.
  • Second dough rise. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick*. Cover the dough again with the damp towel, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
  • Prepare the dough. Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish). Use your fingers to poke deep dents (seriously, poke all the way down to the baking sheet!) all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
  • Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
  • Serve. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice, and serve warm.

Notes