Focaccia
TIPS:
Focaccia is best eaten the day it’s made but keeps well in the freezer. Slice it into pieces, store it in a freezer-safe container, then reheat it on a baking sheet in a 300° oven.
Use a 13x9" baking pan for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that's thinner, crispier, and great for snacking.
Focaccia
SERVES 12
PREP 20 minutes plus overnight resting
COOK 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 (¼-oz.) envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
2 teaspoons honey
2½ cups lukewarm water
5 cups (625 grams) all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
Flaky sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk active dry yeast, honey, and water in a medium bowl. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes. It should get foamy and show signs that it’s alive.
Add all-purpose flour and kosher salt to the mixture. Use a dough hook to knead the dough until no white streaks remain and the dough is uniform.
Pour 4 tablespoons of 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 (it should look very bubbly and alive), 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.
Pour 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil into the center of the pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up the edges of the dough farthest from you and lift up and over into the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Pour any oil left in the bowl over and turn the dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.
Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 450°. 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. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it for up to 1 hour.) Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out the dough to fill (you probably won't need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, like you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers to the bottom of the pan). Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.