NOTE: This recipe is limited only by your imagination and what vegetables are available to you. Get creative and make sure to slice the vegetables decoratively in an even thickness. It’s a very simple recipe, but there’s a lot of downtime, so plan accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons active dried yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)
- 3 cups Italian 00 flour (or bread flour)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more
- About 4 cups evenly sliced vegetables, such as tomatoes, squash, peppers, green beans, and onion
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Herbs, for serving
Preparation
Combine water, yeast, and honey in a large measuring cup and let sit for 5 minutes. Combine flour, salt, rosemary, and garlic in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and olive oil to the flour mixture and stir until a wet, sticky dough forms. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Lightly oil a 9-inch by 12-inch baking tray and cover with parchment paper. Turn dough out onto parchment. Use wet hands to knead a little while pulling and stretching the dough to fit the tray. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 400 degrees and place an ovenproof dish filled with water on the lowest rack with another rack in the middle position. With wet hands, use fingers to press dimples all over the dough, then artfully squish your toppings into the dough. Brush generously with oil. Bake the focaccia on the middle rack until golden and vegetables are charred in spots, about 40–45 minutes.
To serve, drizzle with additional olive oil and top with sea salt and fresh herbs.
