Classic Focaccia Bread

Classic Focaccia Bread Recipe (from Bon Appetit)Link

6¼ cups bread flour (30 oz. or 850g)
2¼ tsp. active dry yeast (from one ¼-oz. packet)
Pinch of sugar
2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing and drizzling
Flaky sea salt

Combine flour and 2½ cups room-temperature water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted
with the dough hook. Mix on low speed, scraping down sides and hook as needed to
incorporate any dry flour, until a shaggy dough forms. Remove dough hook and cover
bowl with plastic. Let sit while you prepare the yeast (you can leave the dough in this state
up to 2 hours).
Stir yeast, sugar, and ½ cup warm water with a fork in a small bowl to dissolve. Let sit until
yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Pour yeast mixture into stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until dough absorbs all
additional water, about 1 minute (pulse mixer on and off a couple of times at very
beginning to prevent liquid from splashing over the sides). Add kosher salt and continue to
mix, increasing speed to medium, until dough is extremely elastic and very sticky (it will
look more like a thick batter and will stick to sides of bowl), about 5 minutes.
Pour 3 Tbsp. oil into a large (preferably glass) bowl and swirl to coat sides. Scrape in
dough with a large spatula or flexible bench scraper. Cover and place in a warm spot until
dough is doubled in volume, 2–3 hours. If using a glass bowl, it’s helpful to mark the
position of the dough at the beginning so you can accurately assess the rise (a dry-erase
marker or piece of tape works).
Drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil over a 18x13" sheet pan and use fingertips to rub all over bottom and
sides. Using large spatula or flexible bench scraper, fold dough inside bowl a couple of
times to deflate, then scrape onto prepared baking sheet. Using oiled hands, lift up dough
and fold over onto itself in half, then rotate baking sheet 90° and fold in half again. Cover
dough with a piece of well-oiled plastic and let rest 10 minutes to let gluten relax.
Uncover and go back in with oiled hands, gently stretching dough (to avoid tearing) across
length and width of baking sheet in an even layer, working all the way to edges and into
corners. If dough starts to spring back, let sit 5–10 minutes and start again. Cover again
with same piece of oiled plastic and chill at least 8 hours and up to 24.
Let sheet pan sit in a warm spot until dough is puffed and bubbly and nearly doubled in
height, 45–65 minutes (if you’re using a standard half sheet pan, it will have risen to the
very top of the sides). Meanwhile, place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 450°.
Remove plastic and drizzle dough generously with more oil. Oil hands again and press
fingertips firmly into dough, pushing down all the way to bottom of pan to dimple all over.
Sprinkle generously with sea salt.
Bake focaccia until surface is deep golden brown all over, 25–35 minutes. Let cool in pan
10 minutes. Slide a thin metal spatula underneath focaccia to loosen from sheet pan (it
may stick in a couple of places, so use some elbow grease to get underneath) and
transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before cutting as desired.