It’s been over a decade and I can still smell the bread baking in the panificio’s as I walked to school each morning in Florence, Italy. That same bread was later sent over to my favorite panini shop, where in the afternoon I stopped in for lunch and ordered a caprese panini. Delicious ingredients held in place by an envelope of fresh bread and toasted to perfection, it was my favorite on-the-go meal. Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia was the first thing I made for my friends and family when I returned to the States. This was long before I purchased a standing mixer so it was kneaded by hand. Getting a sense for what good dough feels like was invaluable, not to mention a great upper body workout – no wonder all those Italian nonna’s look like they could put a hurtin’ on you in the kitchen. This recipe is written for the use of a standing mixer, however if you don’t have one, simply add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixer, olive oil, and water. Start working the dry ingredients towards the center until you have a cohesive ball. Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, think ‘as soft as a baby’s bottom,’ about 10 minutes. Then follow the instructions as you would for the remainder of the recipe.
- 1 package active dry yeast, 3/4 ounce (21 g)
- 1 cup water
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water (105-110 degrees F). Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Sift the flour into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture, salt, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Start the mixer on low and slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5-6 minutes on medium speed. The dough should be very smooth and elastic.
- Remove the dough from the mixer. Form into a ball and add to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Roll out the dough to fit a 9×13-inch oiled baking dish. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for a second time, for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using your fingers, create dimples all over the dough to give it that characteristic craggy look. Brush the remaining olive oil all over the dough. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until pale gold. Allow to cool on a cooling rack. Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Make the Dough and Let it Rise: 
Dimple the Dough, Add the Rosemary, and Sea Salt: 
Bake and Allow to Cool: 
Slice, Serve, and Enjoy! 
My, my, you had a tough up bringing didn’t you? Florence? Freshly baked REAL foccacias? Caprese panini’s for lunch? Want to know what I was having for lunch at school? Vegemite sandwiches mostly! I’m pretty much in carb heaven just looking at this. Baking with yeast is not my strong point but I think you’ve converted me and I have to give this a go. What weight is the packet of dry yeast you use? Thanks!
I’m not gonna lie – Florence, focaccia, and panini’s were pretty amazing. I’ve never had a Vegemite sandwich before, but I’ve always wanted to try it! The problem is, I’ve never seen Vegemite in any of the stores in the States. Perhaps I’ll visit Australia one day 🙂 If you make focaccia, I use a 3/4 ounce (21 g) packet. Good catch – I’ll make a note of that in the recipe.