Classic Focaccia Bread
An airy, olive-oil-rich Italian focaccia with a crisp dimpled crust and flaky sea salt.
⏱️ Prep: 60 min🍳 Cook: 35 min
Ingredients
| 6 1/4 cups | 1.5 l | bread flour |
| 2 1/4 tsp | 11 ml | active dry yeast (from one ¼-oz packet) |
| 1 pinch | sugar | |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | Diamond Crystal (or ½ as much Morton) kosher salt |
| 5 Tbsp | 75 ml | extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing and drizzling |
| 2 1/2 cups | 600 ml | room-temperature water |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | warm water (for the yeast) |
| — | flaky sea salt |
Instructions
- Combine flour and 2½ cups room-temperature water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed, scraping down sides and hook as needed, until a shaggy dough forms. Remove the hook, cover with a cloth bowl cover and let sit while you prepare the yeast (up to 2 hours).
- Stir yeast, sugar and ½ cup warm water with a fork in a small bowl to dissolve. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until the dough absorbs all the added water, about 1 minute (pulse on and off at first to prevent splashing). Add kosher salt and continue mixing, increasing to medium speed, until the dough is extremely elastic and very sticky (it will look like a thick batter and stick to the sides), about 5 minutes.
- Pour 3 Tbsp oil into a large (preferably glass) bowl and swirl to coat. Scrape in the dough, cover and place in a warm spot until doubled, 2–3 hours.
- Drizzle 2 Tbsp oil over an 18x13" sheet pan and rub over the bottom and sides. Fold the dough a couple of times to deflate, then scrape onto the pan. With oiled hands, lift and fold the dough over onto itself, rotate the pan 90° and fold again. Cover with well-oiled plastic and rest 10 minutes.
- Uncover and gently stretch the dough across the length and width of the pan in an even layer, working into the corners. If it springs back, rest 5–10 minutes and try again. Cover again and chill at least 8 hours and up to 24.
- Let the pan sit in a warm spot until the dough is puffed, bubbly and nearly doubled in height, 45–65 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.
- Remove the plastic and drizzle generously with more oil. Oil your hands and press fingertips firmly into the dough, all the way to the bottom of the pan, to dimple all over. Sprinkle generously with sea salt.
- Bake until the surface is deep golden brown all over, 25–35 minutes. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, slide a thin metal spatula underneath to loosen and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before cutting.
- Do Ahead: Focaccia can be baked 1 day ahead; tightly wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.