Around here we adore Samin Nostrat, creator of the famous “Salt Fat Acid Heat” cookbook andNetflix series. Have we fell asleep reading her cookbook in bed? Yes. Have we daydreamed that she would one day walk into our start and talk cooking? Yes. Would she be proud of our ultra-premium extra virgin olive oils being use in her iconic focaccia bread recipe? Absolutely!

Focaccia combines all the best attributes of bread into one package; moist yet airy witha crunchy crust, and flavored with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.Great for serving alongside salad or soup, for making sandwiches (try grilled cheese!), or just to munch on as an afternoon snack. 

Ingredients:

Forthe Dough:

• 2 ½ cups (600 grams) lukewarm water
• ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 ½ teaspoons (15 grams) honey
• 5 1/3 cups (800 grams) all-purpose flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour to make this gluten-free
• 2 tablespoons (18 grams) fine sea salt
• ¼ cup (50 grams) Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Picholine Extra Virgin Olive Oil or another of your favorite Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more oil for pan and finishing
• flaky salt for finishing

Forthe Brine:

• 1 ½ teaspoons (5 grams) fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) lukewarm water

Directions:

1.In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, and honey to dissolve. In another very large bowl, whisk flour and salt together to combine. The to the larger bowl, add the yeast mixture and ¼ cup of RockyMountain Picholine Olive Oil. Stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated, then scrape the sides of the bowl clean and cover with plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature to ferment for 12 to 14 hours until dough has at least doubled in volume.

2.After the dough has risen, spread 2 to 3 Tablespoons of olive oil evenly onto a 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. Take the bowl with the dough, and then use a spatula or your hand to release it from the sides of the bowl and fold it onto itself gently, then pour out onto the greased pan.

3.Pour an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough and gently spread across. Gently stretch the dough to the edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward. The dough will shrink a bit, so repeat stretching once or twice over the course of 30minutes to ensure dough remains stretched.

4.Dimple the dough by pressing the pads of your first three fingers in at an angle. Once dimpled, it is time to make the brine. Make the brine by stirring together salt and water until salt is dissolved. Pour the brine over the dough to fill dimples.

5.Proof focaccia for 45 minutes until the dough is light and bubbly. Thirty minutes into this final proof, adjust rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F.

6.Sprinkle focaccia with flaky salt and then bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake until bottom crust is crisp and golden brown when checked with a metal spatula. To finish browning the top crust, place focaccia on upper rack of the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more.

7.Remove bread from oven and brush or douse with2 to 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the whole surface (don’t worry if the olive pools in pockets, it will absorb as it sits). Let bread cool for 5 minutes, then release focaccia from pan with metal spatula and transfer to a cooling rack.

8.Allow bread to at least partially cool before consuming. Serve warm or at room temperature.

9.To store, wrap the bread in parchment and then keep in an airtight bag or container to preserve texture. Gently toast or reheat any leftover focaccia before serving. Alternatively, wrap tightly to freeze, then defrost and reheat before serving.