Homemade Focaccia Bread
Yes, I know - this is a griddle recipe site. But hear me out on this - making your own focaccia bread is too easy to skip. Yes, it takes time, but there are only a few ingredients and this is one even the kids can help with. Shout out to Bon Appetit for the inspiration!
- 5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 oz envelope active dry yeast
- 2 1/2 cup water ((lukewarm))
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided, plus more for hands)
- unsalted butter (to coat pan)
- flaky sea salt
- 2 fresh rosemary (springs (optional))
Whisk one ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes.
Add 5 cups all-purpose flour and 1 Tbsp. salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. If you're in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.
Generously butter a 13x9" baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that's thinner, crispier. Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into center of pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. (If using a glass baking dish, lower the temp to 425° and cook for an additional 5 minutes.) To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you probably won't need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan). Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and rosemary. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.
