Recipes

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, 1/2 cup of olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times or until it forms a perfect round ball. Give it a few sprinkles of flour if the dough is still really sticky. Coat the inside of another bowl lightly with olive oil and put the dough into the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a clean dish rag and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, 45 minutes- 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a sided baking sheet with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Put the risen dough onto the pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with chosen toppings or just simply brush the top with olive oil. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 15 – 30 minutes depending on the size of your pan. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.