Rosemary & Olive Focaccia

Preparation Time 20min Rising Time 2h

Cooking Time 20min Servings 6 to 8

 
 

Ingredient

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dried yeast

  • 1 3/4 cup warm water

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 5 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons quality extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives or black olives , rinsed and drained

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

  • Fresh coarsely chopped rosemary leaves for topping

  • A few tips of rosemary sprigs for topping garnish

  • Coarse sea salt , for topping (I recommend Maldon or fleur de sel)

 
 
 
 

Preparation

  1. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a bowl and allow it to sit in a warm place for approximately 15 minutes until it becomes frothy.

  2. In a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook, blend the flour, salt, olive oil, and yeast mixture on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading for another 5-7 minutes until the texture turns smooth and soft. If the dough appears too sticky, add a little more flour.

  3. Take out the dough, spray the mixer bowl with olive oil, return the dough, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for at least 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

  4. Coat a standard 15 1/2 x 10 ½-inch rimmed sheet pan with the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the sheet pan, using your hands to pull and press it to fit the pan's size. Loosely cover it with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an additional 60 minutes or until it doubles in size. Towards the end, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

  5. Press numerous deep dimples into the dough using your fingertips, then generously drizzle olive oil, allowing it to pool in the dimples. Scatter olives in some of the dimples, sprinkle with an abundance of rosemary leaves, a few rosemary sprig tips, and some coarse salt.

  6. Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes or until the top achieves a light golden brown color. Allow it to cool for a couple of minutes before slicing into squares. It is best served immediately while the crust is warm and crispy.