Focaccia

If I had to live on one kind of bread for the rest of my life, it would be focaccia. It’s perfectly chewy and tender with crunchy, oven-fried edges and all manner of toppings. I’ve given various focaccias to friends who just gave birth, just finished chemo, or just needed a carby pick-me-up.

Dimpling the dough is wonderfully therapeutic, and it’s a fun sensory activity for the little ones in your home because it’s impossible to mess up. If the dough tears a little, no one will know. Sprinkle whatever you like on top (I recommend a good flaky salt, like Maldon), and let the olive oil work its magic. 

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups flour

Olive oil

Fresh rosemary

Flaky salt to sprinkle on top

Toppings of your choice 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water, yeast, and honey. Let the yeast foam for a couple minutes, then add the salt and 2 cups of the flour. Mix until a soft, sticky dough forms. 

Add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix well. The dough will still be a bit sticky.

Cover and let rise for 40 minutes on top of the warm oven. Meanwhile, prepare a rimmed baking pan or sheet by drizzling the bottom generously with olive oil and spreading it around so that the pan is completely coated. 

Once the dough is doubled in size and very bubbly, press the dough out onto the well-oiled baking sheet (at least ⅓ cup of oil). Using your fingers, ease it into a rectangle approximately 9x13 inches. 

Drizzle more olive oil onto the dough, then use your fingers to dimple the entire surface. Poke straight downward to the bottom of the tray. Each little dimple you create will pool with oil, resulting in delicious flavor and texture. You can drizzle more oil if needed. 

Arrange your toppings of choice on top, then sprinkle with herbs and flaky sea salt. 

Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden. 

Optional: Sprinkle with more fresh herbs after baking.

Try this:

I’ve tried a huge variety of toppings and had delicious success every time. Think of this as a sauceless pizza and get creative! Try these seasonal favorites: 

Spring Bulbs

Thinly slice a bunch of green onions on the diagonal all the way down to the roots. Chop 3 cloves of fresh garlic. Sprinkle the garlic and green onions, plus sea salt, on the dough before baking. 

Summer Tomato 

Halve cherry or grape tomatoes and press them into their own dimples. Sprinkle fresh chopped rosemary (or dry Italian seasoning), sea salt, and grated parmesan on the dough before baking.

Fall Onion

Chop three or four onions (it seems like a lot, but they cook down!) into slices, rings, or a finer dice, and caramelize with butter and two tablespoons of brown sugar in a pan over medium-high heat. It can take a while, but if the pan starts to get a little dry, a splash of water will speed things up. Once they’re soft and dark brown, they’re ready. Top your focaccia dough with the caramelized onions, feta cheese, pine nuts, and chopped rosemary before baking. If you’re feeling absolutely wild, add sliced figs (fresh or dried) and send me your thank-you note later. 

Winter Lemon

Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice two or three lemons into very thin circles. Remove the seeds. Place the slices—including the peels—on the dimpled dough with chopped rosemary or fresh thyme leaves and sea salt before baking. When you eat it, eat the whole lemon, including the peel! It’s not as scary as it sounds.