Herbed Focaccia

If you like Macaroni Grill's bread, you should like this as well!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 - 4 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra as needed
pinch or two of garlic salt
1 teaspoon combination of dried basil, oregano, and/or thyme.
1 teaspoon chopped FRESH rosemary
course sea or kosher salt for sprinkling

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water and stir to dissolve. Let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the salt, the dried herbs only, 1/4 teaspoon of the rosemary, the pinch of garlic salt, and 1 cup of the bread flour. Beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add another cup of the flour and beat on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook. On low speed, beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft shaggy dough forms that pulls away from the sides and clings to the hook. Knead with your hands, in the bowl, adding 1 Tablespoon of flour at a time if the dough is sticking until moist , soft, and slightly sticky, about 4-5 minutes or so. Cover loosely and let rest for 20 minutes.

Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the paper lightly with oil. Divide the dough in half and place both halves evenly apart on the sheet. With oiled fingers, press and flatten the dough into ovals. (You can do flatter ovals if you want or thicker ones to save room and have a very fluffy loaf of bread, which is what I like!) Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 

With your fingertips, make deep indentions in the dough, about 1 inch apart, all over the surface. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and let rise again, about 20-30 minutes at room temperature. Place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. 

When the dough has risen, uncover and sprinkle with a little coarse salt and the remaining fresh rosemary. Place the baking sheet on the stone and bake until the bread is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Check the bottom and bake for a few more minutes if it is pale. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

*I like to serve this with an olive oil dipping sauce. You can simply add freshly ground salt and pepper to Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, or the Pampered Chef makes a great dry dipping sauce mix you can add!