Focaccia genovese

Ingredients

225 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water

1 tsp dried yeast

350 g (2-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour (or more as needed to form the dough)

1 tsp honey

1 Tb salt

2 Tbs olive oil

2 or 3 Tb water

2 or 3 Tb olive oil

coarse salt

Rosemary leaves

Thinly sliced onions (moistened with a drizzle of olive oil)

Olives

Cherry or grape tomatoes

Rosemary leaves

Directions

Whisk the lukewarm water and yeast in the bottom of the bowl of a standing mixer. Let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes.

Add one cup of the flour and mix with the dough hook until you have a smooth paste. Then add the salt, honey and olive oil, and finally the rest of the flour.

Continue mixing with the dough hook until you have a nice, elastic and just slightly sticky ball of dough.

Slide the dough off the hook and into the mixing bowl. Form the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rest for a good 2 hours (or more) in a warm place until it has doubled in size. (If your kitchen is a bit cool, you can place the bowl inside a turned-off oven.)

Drizzle a good pour of olive oil on a baking sheet. Then scoop the dough out of its bowl onto the oil. Flatten the dough out into a roughly rectangular shape and turn it over to grease both sides of the dough. (It shoudl be well greased all over to avoid sticking.) Cover the dough with some plastic wrap or wax paper and then a light towel. Let the dough rest in the baking pan for about 20-30 minutes or so to soften.

Now spread the dough out with your hands, until it thinly and evenly covers the entire surface of the baking pan.

Cover the dough again and let it rest in a warm place for a good 45-60 minutes to rise.

Mix the oil and water in a measuring cup and pour it over the dough. Spread it out over the surface of the dough with the palms of your hands.

Now pressing the tips of your fingers, create little dimples all over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the coarse salt and, if using, the rosemary leaves.

Bake in a hot (200C/400F) pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the focaccia is golden brown on top.

Let the focaccia cool on a baking grid.

Serve still warm or at room temperature.