Rosemary and Olive Focaccia

Rosemary and olive focaccia (still hot from the oven!)

March 22nd, 2020 -This pandemic has allowed me to do a lot of baking. Like a lot, a lot. I generally like to bake quite a bit but confinement has allowed me to do even more than usual.

I tend not to follow recipes too much or I like to pick and chose elements that I like from different variations of the same recipe. This is a recipe like that. A little bit from one recipe, a little bit from another, some experimentation for a little spicy and voila!

I hope you try it at home! And of course, if you don’t like rosemary or black olives, you can substitute those toppings for ones you prefer. Oregano and tomatoes work super well, caramelized onions and thyme, red grapes would be cool and you could drizzle with a little honey to finish. Really, the options are endless.

Rosemary and olive focaccia

INGREDIENTS
-1 1/3 cup warm water (between 105-110°F)
-1.5 teaspoons sugar
-1 package active-dry yeast
-3.5 cups all purpose flour
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
-1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
-2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
-1/3 cup of pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
-flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top

DIRECTIONS:
1. Warm up the water in the microwave and check the temperature with a thermometer. If the water is too hot, the yeast won’t rise! Add the water and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle on the yeast and stir to incorporate. Let it sit for about 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy. If it is not foamy after this amount of time, go to the grocery store and buy new yeast!
2. Using the dough hook attachment and mixing on low speed, gradually add the flour, olive oil and salt. Once the flour is incorporated, increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing for about 5-8 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, add a bit more flour until it does (up to 1/4 cup more flour).
3. Grease a large bowl with some olive oil. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Place dough ball in the greased mixing bowl and flip it once so it is fully covered in oil. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and set in a warm place to rise until about doubled in size. It should take about 45 minutes to one hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a large baking sheet, add a scant 1/4 cup of oil to the baking sheet. Turn the dough onto the oiled sheet and using your fingers stretch it out into a large rectangle. If you want a thicker focaccia, don’t stretch the dough out too much. Spread a bit of oil on a piece of plastic wrap and cover the dough. Let the dough rise for another 20 minutes.
5. Remove the plastic wrap, and use your fingers to poke dents on the surface of the dough. Don’t be shy to press deeply into the dough! Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle the rosemary needles and chopped olives, pressing them lightly into the dough. Sprinkle over the flaky sea salt.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the dough is lightly golden and cooked through. If there is leftover oil on the pan, it will be absorbed into the dough as it cools. Remove from the oven, cool and enjoy warm or at room temperature!