Directions

• Warm 113g (1/2 C) water to just warm, no warmer than 110 F on an instant read thermometer (this is important or you can kill your yeast). Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and add yeast. Mix gently and let sit aside 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, attach the dough hook and add 567g (2.5 C) room temp water, flour, and salt to the bowl with the yeast.
  
  Mix on low to combine into a rough dough and then mix on medium-high until the a dough forms and it is starting to wrap around the hook. Stop the mixer and cover with a towel. Let rest 10 minutes.
  
  Turn the mixer back on, and mix on medium-high 10-15 minutes, until the dough is wrapping around the hook and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough hook.
• While mixing, pour 55g (1/4 C) of olive oil into a large bowl. Scrape the dough into the oiled bowl and use your fingers to pull some of the pooling oil around the edges across the surface. Cover with a damp towel and rest until doubled, 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
  
  This is a plain focaccia, but make your topping during this time if making a variation
• Pour 55g (1/4 C) olive oil across 1 half sheet pan, or two quarter sheet pans.
  
  With oiled hands, slide your hands underneath the dough and pull up from the middle, letting the weight of the dough pull it down and stretch it. Lower your hands and return to the bowl. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times, stretching the dough four times as you turn the bowl. On the last stretch, transfer the dough from the bowl to the sheet pan. (if using two pans, cut the dough in half with a bench scraper after moving to the sheet pan and separate onto each pan).
• Stretch the dough in all directions to try and fill out the pan fully. It will start to spring back, which is fine. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let set for 15 minutes. Uncover, and stretch again to the edges, trying your best to fully fill out the pan.
  
  Cover again and let rise until doubled in height, 45-55 minutes. (optionally, for full flavor, cover and transfer to fridge instead of rising at room temp, and allow to slowly rise in the fridge for up to 24 hours**)
• While your dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450 F.
  
  Uncover the dough. With oiled hands, use your fingers to dimple across the surface of the dough, wiggling gently as you press in. Bubbles may form at this point, which is good.
• Drizzle with remaining 55g (1/4 C) olive oil and generously cover with flaky salt.
• Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until it has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Then, transfer to the top rack and bake 5-10 minutes longer, until the top is nicely golden browned.
  
  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. It may stick a bit, but a few good scrapes will release it. Cool on rack
  
  For ultimate texture, bake the day you are serving or, slice and wrap individually in tinfoil after baking and freeze.