This is pretty easy to get creative with. Just about any reasonable hard herb works really well. Think thyme, rosemary, or sage. Delicate herbs like basil will work, but they’ll be a little bit destroyed by the high heat of the oven.

Here in the US, most baking trays are made out of reflective silvery aluminum. These work for making something like a cookie, but less well here. If possible, you’re going to get better results — a lighter, airier crumb and a crispier bottom — using a dark steel baking tray. A cast iron pan can also work well.

These quantities will make enough dough to do a US-size half sheet pan.

Ingredients

  • 400 g water, warm (ca. 30 °C)
  • 4 g active dry yeast
  • 20 g olive oil
  • 500 g bread flour
  • 10 g salt
  • Olive oil
  • Herbs
  • Flaky salt (e.g., fleur de sel)

Method

In a large bowl, combine the water and the yeast, and allow the yeast to bloom.

Then add the 20 g of olive oil, followed by the flour and salt. Mix the dough together by hand until it’s well-combined and there are no pockets of flour left.

Cover the bowl and let it relax for 15 minutes. Then, with wet hands, fold the dough onto itself several times. Repeat this process one or two more times — letting the dough rest and then folding it over itself — or until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Do not add additional flour.

Optionally, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.

Let the dough rise until it’s roughly doubled in volume, about one or two hours.

Preheat an oven to 230 °C (450 °F) with fan (convection), if available.

Generously grease a baking tray with olive oil. Gently pour the risen dough onto the baking tray and, with wet hands, begin gently pushing the dough out to fill the tray.

Let the dough rise for 30 minutes, until some bubbles begin to develop.

Then confidently push dimples into the dough. Generously drizzle the dough with olive oil and add flaky salt to taste.

Transfer the bread to the oven and bake it until it’s lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

When the focaccia has finished baking, remove it from the oven and transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool to room temperature.