Focaccia Bread

My mom's kitchen and floors are under a major remodel.  Meaning no real kitchen and all furniture packing in a couple rooms.  Since late May.  Upside?  Her contractor brings her his fresh, homemade focaccia bread and his wife's favorite soup.  He shared the focaccia bread recipe with us and I couldn't wait to try it.  Mike (the contractor) prefers topping his focaccia with jalepenos and cheddar, but I went with my favorite toppings... sea salt and chopped fresh rosemary.

Add the ingredients and let your mixer do the work for about five minutes.

After a quick knead, let the dough rise.  I let it rise for at least an hour in a warm spot.  I put mine in the oven (it was off!) for almost 2 hours.  It was huge when I took it out.  (before pic below)

After spreading the dough out on the cookie sheet, it rises once again. Don't forget to poke the dough with your fingers for the traditional look!  I let it rise for another 2 hours and it was ready for a sprinkling of sea salt and rosemary. 

My bread only took about 18 minutes to bake, so keep a close eye on your oven and set the timer for 15 minutes just to check on the progress.

When I say this bread is amazing, I mean it.  We couldn't wait for it to cool.  Within five minutes of the focaccia being out of the oven we had eaten almost a third of the pan.  This is a must try, and really, its fairy basic.  You just need to have time to let the dough rise.... do some laundry, catch up on reality television, or play outside!

Focaccia, courtesy of Anne Burrell
1 3/4 c. warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
5 c. all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 Tbsp kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1 c.extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. (Chef's Note: This may seem excessive, but focaccia is an oily crusted bread).

Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (Chef's Note: Yes, this is strange. But when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.