Description

You won't need 8 to 24 hours to make this soft, crusty focaccia—it's ready to eat in less than 2 hours! This version is entirely hassle-free, requiring a stand mixer and a bit of scraping to develop the gluten. After a quick mix, the sticky dough goes into the well-oiled baking pan. Stretch the dough to fit the pan, and then let it rise for an hour.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and turn on the oven light. Grease a 9-x 13-inch baking pan with 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the olive oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix on low speed until a dough begins to form, about 2 minutes.
4. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
5. With the mixer on medium speed, knead the dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with an oiled spatula, until the mixture is well combined and no more flour is visible, about 4 minutes. The dough will be very sticky and may not form a ball.
6. Scrape the dough into the prepared baking pan, pressing lightly and stretching to fit. Place the pan in the oven for 1 hour to proof.
7. Remove the pan, then heat the oven to 425 F.
8. While the oven is heating, drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over the dough. The dough will be puffy, so handle it gently to avoid deflating it. Using your fingertips, lightly dimple the dough all over, then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and pepper, if using.
9. Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 21 to 24 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.