Rosemary Focaccia

This soft, chewy Focaccia bread is flavored with rosemary and sea salt. It is perfect for serving as an appetizer or along side a pasta dinner!Yield: 1 (7x9 inch) flatbread

📝 Ingredients

• 3/4 c warm water, (80F)
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp dry rosemary (or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped (plus additional for topping))
• 3/4 tsp sea salt ((plus additional for topping))
• 2-3 tsp olive oil

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place the warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand a few minutes for the yeast soften.
2. 2Mix 1 cup of flour into the yeast and water mixture. Add the rosemary and salt, and mix well.
3. 3Slowly mix in the remaining 1 cup of flour, only using as much as you need for the dough to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, until a soft and smooth dough forms. (Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.)
4. 4Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large bowl that has been greased with olive oil. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft free place for 1 hour.
5. 5When the dough has risen, knead it gently a couple of times, then stretch it into a rectangle.
6. 6Grease a 10 x 10 inch section of your baking sheet with roughly 1 tsp of olive oil. Place the stretched dough on the greased section, turning to coat it with oil. Using your fingers, press the dough to roughly 7 x 9 inches. Once pressed to size, press your fingers into the top of the dough to cover it with dimples. (It's ok if the dough springs back. These are just to give it the classic, dimpled focaccia look.) Cover the shaped dough again and let it rise for 30 minutes.
7. 7While your dough is rising, preheat your oven to 450F.
8. 8Once the dough has risen, drizzle it with additional olive oil and sprinkle it lightly with sea salt and chopped rosemary.
9. 9Place the bread into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 400F. Bake the bread for 15-17 minutes, until golden.
10. 10Remove the bread from the oven, wrap it in a clean tea towel to keep it soft, and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before slicing and eating.