Herbed Focaccia

Before moving to Waitsburg, bread baking was an elusive skill I always shied away from. Despite my deep love for all the shapes and styles of bread, the idea of making my own always seemed like an impossible feat. Perhaps inspired by the rolling wheat fields that surround us, I have since learned a lot while discovering the magic that can be made with a few ingredients, patience, and a hot oven. This tender and crusty focaccia was one of the first successful bakes, filling our home with an inviting, herbaceous scent, well worth the two-day effort.

Ingredients:

5 cups unbleached bread flour (high-gluten flour)

1 ⅞ teaspoons salt

1 ¾ teaspoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more)

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, room temperature

½ cup herb oil (see notes)

Directions (2-day process):

In a 4-quart mixing bowl, stir to combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil with the water and mix with a large spoon until all ingredients form a wet, sticky dough ball. Use the spoon to vigorously work the dough, dipping the spoon in cold water periodically to prevent sticking, while rotating the bowl in a circular motion. Keep mixing like this for 3 to 5 minutes, until a smooth but sticky dough forms. This step can also be done in an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.

Lightly oil your work surface with ¼ teaspoon of olive oil, spreading the oil to cover a 12-inch square area. Dip a rubber spatula in water and use it to scrape the dough out onto the work surface. Oil your hands then pat the dough into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.

With oiled hands, stretch both short ends of the rectangle to double the length. Next, fold back over itself, to return to its original rectangle size. Lightly mist the top with oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Rest the dough for 30 minutes. Repeat stretching and folding, then oil top again, cover, and rest for another 30 minutes. Finally, stretch and fold a third time. Then cover and rest a final 30 minutes. The dough will slightly swell.

Prepare a 12 by 17 rimmed sheet pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan then, using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread oil evenly over the surface of the paper and up the sides of the pan. Now, use a pastry scraper or a large flat knife, to lift the dough off the work surface and carefully transfer it to a sheet pan while maintaining a rectangular shape.

Now, spoon 2 tablespoons of the herb oil over the top of the dough. Use your fingers to simultaneously dimple and spread the dough in all directions, to fill the pan. Be careful not to pierce through the dough when making dimples. The dough should be even thickness across the pan. Don't worry if you aren't able to spread dough all the way to the edge and corners of the pan, as it will spread out naturally while it proofs. Use more of the herb oil to make sure the entire surface is coated. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days).

Remove pan from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking. Generously drizzle more of the herb oil over the top and use fingers to dimple it into the surface. The dough should fill the pan and be an even ½-inch thickness. Recover with plastic and allow the dough to proof at room temperature until doubled in size (1-inch thickness), about 2 ½ to 3 hours. A final flourish of coarse sea salt over the top before baking is never a bad idea.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, and position the rack to the middle of the oven. When the oven is ready, place the pan on the shelf. Reduce the temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the bread is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer focaccia from the pan onto a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

To make herb oil, mix one cup of olive oil with a ½ cup of mixed chopped fresh herbs. Basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, chives, sage, and tarragon are all excellent choices. Season to taste with 1 to 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt and ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper. Don't be shy when oiling the dough as it will get absorbed into the bread as it bakes. Any leftover herb oil can be used as a dipping oil for serving. Enjoy!