Chef Ally
Braided Challah
A golden, egg-enriched loaf braided by hand, its burnished crust giving way to a crumb so tender it pulls apart in soft, sweet strands. The bread of Friday nights, holidays, and ordinary weeks made sacred.
Culinary Explorer
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Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia
Created by
Soft, dimpled Italian bread drenched in good olive oil, fragrant with garden rosemary and finished with flaky salt. A loaf that rewards patience and teaches you to trust the dough.
Breads
Italian
Potluck
Dinner Party
Make Ahead
30 min
Active Time
25 min cook•3 hr 30 min total
Yield1 large focaccia (12 servings)
Start with the flour. Stone-ground from a mill you trust changes everything here. Industrial flour, stripped of its germ and bran, produces bread that tastes like nothing. Find flour that smells like wheat, that feels alive in your hands, and you are already halfway to something worth making.
Focaccia is forgiving bread. It asks only for time, warmth, and good olive oil. The technique is simple: mix, wait, stretch, wait again, then bake. No kneading. No fussing. The long rise develops flavor and structure while you do other things. The dimpling is the only real work, and even that is satisfying rather than difficult.
This is bread meant for sharing. Tear it at the table while the oil still glistens on the surface. Dip it into soup, drag it through sauce, or eat it plain with nothing but the rosemary and salt. Your choices shape the food system. Buy flour from someone who cares about grain. Find rosemary at the farmers market or grow it on your windowsill. Let things taste of what they are.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
bread flour
Quantity
500g (about 4 cups)
preferably stone-ground
fine sea salt
Quantity
2 teaspoons
active dry yeast
Quantity
2 1/4 teaspoons (one packet)
warm water
Quantity
2 cups
100-110°F
honey
Quantity
1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
6 tablespoons, divided, plus more for finishing
fresh rosemary
Quantity
3-4 sprigs
leaves stripped
flaky sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| bread flourpreferably stone-ground | 500g (about 4 cups) |
| fine sea salt | 2 teaspoons |
| active dry yeast | 2 1/4 teaspoons (one packet) |
| warm water100-110°F | 2 cups |
| honey | 1 tablespoon |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 6 tablespoons, divided, plus more for finishing |
| fresh rosemaryleaves stripped | 3-4 sprigs |
| flaky sea salt | 1 teaspoon |
Equipment Needed
- •9x13 inch baking pan or 12-inch round cake pan
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Wooden spoon
Instructions
- 1
Bloom the yeast
Stir the honey into the warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and let it sit for five minutes. The yeast should bloom, turning foamy and fragrant. If nothing happens, your water was too hot or your yeast is tired. Start again.
Water temperature matters. Too hot kills the yeast. Too cold and it sleeps. Your wrist should feel comfortable warmth, nothing more. - 2
Mix the dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and fine sea salt. Pour the yeast mixture over the flour along with two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains. This dough is wetter than you expect. That is correct. The moisture creates those open, airy pockets.
- 3
First rise
Cover the bowl tightly with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Set it somewhere warm and draft-free. Let the dough rise until doubled, about one and a half to two hours. The timing depends on your kitchen. A warm spot near a sunny window works well. Watch the dough, not the clock.
For deeper flavor, let the dough rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours. Cold fermentation develops complexity that quick rises cannot match. - 4
Prepare the pan
Pour three tablespoons of olive oil into a 9x13 inch baking pan or a 12-inch round cake pan. Tilt to coat the bottom and sides generously. The oil is not just for preventing sticking. It fries the bottom of the focaccia, creating those golden, crisp edges.
- 5
Transfer and stretch
Scrape the risen dough into the oiled pan. Oil your hands and gently stretch the dough toward the edges. It will resist and spring back. That is the gluten talking. Let it rest for ten minutes, then stretch again. Repeat until the dough fills the pan without fighting you.
- 6
Second rise
Cover the pan loosely and let the dough rise again until puffy and nearly doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour. The dough should jiggle when you shake the pan gently. Preheat your oven to 425°F during the last twenty minutes of this rise.
- 7
Dimple and dress
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the dough. Oil your fingertips and press them firmly into the dough, all the way to the bottom of the pan, creating deep dimples across the entire surface. These wells collect oil and crisp beautifully. Scatter the rosemary leaves into the dimples and across the top. Sprinkle the flaky salt over everything.
Do not be timid with the dimpling. Press firmly. The dough can take it, and shallow dimples disappear in the oven. - 8
Bake until golden
Bake for 22 to 28 minutes until the top is deeply golden and the edges are darker still, pulling away slightly from the pan. The focaccia should sound hollow when you tap the center. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with another generous glug of olive oil while still hot.
- 9
Cool and serve
Let the focaccia cool in the pan for five minutes, then use a spatula to slide it onto a wire rack or wooden board. Cut into squares or tear into pieces. Focaccia is best the day it is made, still slightly warm, torn and shared at the table.
Chef Tips
- •The quality of your olive oil shows here more than almost anywhere else. Use oil you would happily drink from a spoon. Save the cooking oil for something else.
- •Fresh rosemary from a garden or market has an aliveness that dried rosemary cannot match. The needles should be supple, fragrant when rubbed, and deeply green.
- •If your focaccia is pale on the bottom, your oven runs cool. Next time, place the pan on a lower rack or preheat a baking stone beneath it.
- •Day-old focaccia makes the best croutons. Cube it, toss with oil, and toast until crisp. It will keep for a week and improve any salad.
Advance Preparation
- •The dough can rise slowly in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Cold fermentation produces more complex flavor. Bring to room temperature for one hour before shaping.
- •Focaccia is best eaten the day it is baked. If you must store it, wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for up to two days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 8 minutes to revive the crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 80g)
Calories
220 calories
Total Fat
8 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
500 mg
Total Carbohydrates
32 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
5 g
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