Instructions

• Measure out all the ingredients, finely chop the fresh rosemary, and set it aside.
• Add yeast, water, and olive oil to a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Set to mix on low–medium speed for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, sugar, and rosemary to the dough and continue mixing at low–medium speed until the dough is cleaned away from the walls of the mixing bowl and the internal temperature reads between 70°–80°, about 10 to 15 minutes. Letting it mix longer is usually best.
• Remove the dough from the mixer and place it on a floured surface. Form the dough into a ball with smooth edges. Cover the dough ball with a tea towel (or plastic wrap) and let it rest on the floured surface until it has approximately doubled in size, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Once the dough has finished rising, use your fingertips to gently poke (de-gas) and press the dough open into the shape and size of your pan. Finish with a rolling pin to bring the dough to the right measurements.
• Add a generous amount of olive oil to grease the sheet pan, then transfer the dough and spread it out evenly with your fingertips to fill in the corners of the pan. Add more oil and rub over the top of the dough. Decorate as you like by pressing fresh flowers or vegetables into the top of the dough and lightly sprinkling with coarse sea salt to finish.
• Cover the dough again with a tea towel (or reusable sheet of plastic film) and let rest in the refrigerator if you plan to use it in the next 36 hours, or let it rest near a warm oven for 1 to 2 hours until well risen, about doubled in height.
• When it’s ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. If using a convection oven, it will take about 15 minutes to bake and between 25 to 35 minutes in a conventional oven. It’s done once the top of the focaccia is golden and the internal temperature is above 190°.