Rosemary Focaccia Bread Recipe

Add warm water and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment, and stir to combine.  Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water.  Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water.  Then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.

Set the mixer to low speed, and gradually add flour, olive oil and salt.  Increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 5 minutes.  If the dough is too sticky and isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add in an extra ¼ cup flour while it is mixing.

Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and shape it into a ball.  Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel.  Place in a warm location and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about ½-inch thick.  Cover the dough again with the damp towel, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish).  Use fingers to poke deep dents all over the surface of the dough. 

Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.

Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice, and serve warm.