Easy Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
• 2 cups warm tap water
• 1 teaspoon butter for greasing pan
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• Italian seasoning or finely chopped fresh herbs
• flaky sea salt I like Maldon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the dough:

1. In a medium-large bowl, combine flour, salt, and instant yeast. Stir well. Add the warm water. Using a Danish Whisk, sturdy wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
2. Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each pan. Divide dough in half with a large spoon or rubber spatula and place one piece of dough in each pan, turning to coat with oil. Tuck edges of dough underneath to form a rough ball. Cover each pan tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough balls to rest for 2 hours depending. The dough should cover most of the pan.

Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.
2. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil over each round of dough. With oiled fingers, using both hands, press straight down and create deep dimples that go all the way through the dough (in other words, you'll actually be making deep holes.) If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan.
3. Sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs) and flaky sea salt.
4. Transfer the pans to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425˚F. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides are crisp. Remove pans from the oven. With a metal spatula remove bread rounds from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack.
5. Serve warm or allow to cool completely then store in a zippered bag.

Freeze:

1. To freeze, allow bread to cool completely, then transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw and enjoy at room temperature or warm for 10 minutes in a 350˚F oven.

This article and recipe adapted from this site

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