Homemade Italian Flatbread (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough

01 - 1¾ cups of warm water (should feel nice and warm to the touch, around 105-115°F)
02 - 2 teaspoons cane sugar
03 - One ¼-ounce packet of active dry yeast (that's about 2¼ teaspoons)
04 - 500 grams all-purpose flour (roughly 4 cups)
05 - 2 teaspoons sea salt
06 - 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating your hands

→ Toppings

07 - Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional but recommended)
08 - Fresh rosemary, chopped (optional but classic)

# Instructions:

01 - Grab your stand mixer bowl and attach the dough hook. Mix together the warm water and sugar, then scatter the yeast over the top and give it another quick stir. Let this sit for about 5 minutes until you see it getting bubbly and foamy on top. If nothing happens and it stays flat, your yeast might be dead—toss it and start fresh with a new packet.
02 - Toss in the flour and salt, then turn the mixer to low speed. Let it come together into a rough, shaggy-looking dough. Bump the speed up to medium and let it go for 5 minutes. You'll end up with a really stretchy, quite sticky dough that starts climbing up the sides of the bowl.
03 - Take a large bowl and coat it generously with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The dough's too sticky to handle right now, so use a spatula to scrape it out of the mixer bowl and into your oiled bowl. Dip your fingers in any oil pooling around the edges and gently brush it over the top of the dough. Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, then let it hang out somewhere warm until it's puffed up to double its size—usually takes 1 to 1½ hours.
04 - Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub some oil on your hands too. Uncover your risen dough and carefully slide one oiled hand underneath an edge. Fold that edge toward the center, then work your way around the bowl, folding edges in until you've got a loose ball you can actually pick up.
05 - Move the dough into your prepared baking dish and flip it around so it gets coated in all that olive oil. Now gently press it out toward the edges of the pan. It'll spring back a bit—that's fine. Let it relax for a moment, then press it out again. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise again until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. About halfway through this rise (around the 30-minute mark), go ahead and preheat your oven to 425°F.
06 - Take off the plastic wrap and drizzle the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil all over the puffy dough. Oil up your hands again, then use your fingertips to poke dimples all across the surface—really press down through the dough right to the bottom of the pan. This creates those signature focaccia bubbles. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt and chopped rosemary if you're using them. Slide it into the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until it's beautifully golden brown on top.

# Notes:

01 - If your baking dish isn't nonstick, rub it with a little butter first before adding the olive oil. This extra step will keep your focaccia from sticking to the pan.
02 - This recipe works beautifully for both beginners and experienced bakers. The dough is forgiving and the results are always impressive.
03 - Feel free to get creative with toppings—cherry tomatoes, olives, caramelized onions, or garlic all work wonderfully on focaccia.

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