Focaccia

Recently my husband and I took a trip to Los Angeles and made it a point to eat in as many places as we could manage in the four days we were there. On our final night in LA we decided to check out Fig and Olive. The atmosphere and ambiance are very true to it's Mediterranean theme. If you're ever in LA, I highly recommend Fig and Olive! We started the night with their 4 different types of focaccia accompanied by 4 of their most popular olive oils. You could say that's where the inspiration to try and make this came from!

With many things that you try to bake for the first time, this one was one that required two attempts. After altering some of the ingredients, the second time was a success!

(Video of how we made it can be found on Instagram @dishingwiththedawouds) 

Ingredients
4-5 cups flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp of active dry east (when it comes to yeast, if you have a certain proportion that works for you, feel free to use that)
1 2/3 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup (56g) extra-virgin olive oil 

Toppings
Oil for drizzling over the dough
Flaky Sea Salt

Directions
1. Mix 1 Tbsp of yeast in 2/3 cup of warm water (my tends to be warmer than cooler) in your mixing bowl. Leave for 5-10 minutes until it bubbles.
2. Add 5 cups of flour to the bowl with the yeast.. Add the cup of water and oil to the mixture. 
3. Use a wooden spoon as opposed to the mixer. Once incorporated kneed by hand for 5 minutes until the dough has a smoother texture.
3. Oil another bowl and place dough in it. Depending on your east and temperature conditions, this can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. 
4. Once the dough has risen, fold the dough a few times and stretch it in between. Then leave in the same mixing bowl for another 30 min to an hour. (I find the longer you leave it the better it'll be better in the long run).
5. Lightly grease a pan of your choice (you can do a rectangle or circle as long as it's large enough for the amount of dough you have. I used a 13x17 inch baking tray.
6. Put your dough in the pan and begin to stretch it out to the edges while maintaining an equal thickness throughout. 
7. Cover with cling wrap and a dish towel and let it rise again for 30 min to an hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 425F. 
9.  With your fingers, create holes throughout the dough. I've seen recipes that say to splash some water on the dough while others say mix with the oil. 
10. Drizzle the oil and flaky sea salt.
11. Depending on your oven, bake for about 30-40 minutes. Mine took about 40-45 minutes.
12. In the meantime, create your favorite olive oil balsamic mixture.
13. Let it slightly cool and dip that baby into the olive oil balsamic mixture.