Lemon, Rosemary, Thyme Focaccia

Italian-inspired flatbread with delicious herbs, lemon zest and sea salt. Perfect for a dinner bread, sandwiches, with soups, salads ..........
Author: Chris Scheuer
Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
 
Ingredients
 
For the dough: 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast* 2 cups whole milk 1 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 cups all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme lemon zest, from 1 small lemon For the herb drizzle: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes lemon zest, from 1 small lemon sea salt
Instructions
Combine milk and brown sugar. Warm in microwave for 1½ minutes or until about 110-115˚F. ( ca. 50 Grad C) When you stick a finger into the mixture, it should feel hot, but not so hot that it's uncomfortable. If it's not warm enough, place back in microwave and cook at 15 second intervals till temperature is correct. If you're new to yeast, I recommend using a thermometer. They're very inexpensive. Once the liquid is the right temperature add yeast and stir. Let stand until bubbly*, about 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbs. of the olive oil.
Using the dough hook on a stand mixer, mix the flour, salt, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest. Add the yeast mixture and mix until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Continue to mix with dough hook for 5 minutes.
 
Move the dough to one side of the mixer bowl, drizzle a bit of olive oil into empty side of bowl and then turn the dough until lightly greased. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk (size), about 1 hour.
Combine all of the ingredients for the herb drizzle in a small microwave-safe container. Cook on high for 30 seconds to release the herb oil and flavor. Set aside to cool.
 
Use two 9-inch or 3 8-inch pans for baking. Add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil to each pan. Punch down the dough, divide in 2 or 3 fairly equal pieces (depending if you are using 2 9-inch or 3 8-inch pans. Plop a piece of dough into each pan and turn over a few times to coat all sides with oil. With your fingers pat and poke each piece of dough to spread it out to cover the bottom of the pan completely. If dough is resistant, let it sit for a few minutes then continue patting it out. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk. The time it takes the dough to rise will vary, depending on how warm your kitchen is. It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
 
Preheat an oven to 425°F. (ca. 220 Grad C)
 
Using your fingertips, press down firmly into the dough to make dimples about ½ inch (ca.1,2 cm) apart and 1 inch (c. 2,5 cm) deep. Drizzle the herb oil evenly over the 3 pans of dough. Gently rub with your fingers to evenly distribute the oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let sit for another 15 minutes.
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Slide the focaccia onto wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh thyme and rosemary leaves, if desired.
 
May also be frozen. Let them cool completely, then transfer to zippered bags and freeze. To serve after freezing, thaw, wrap in foil and warm in a 350˚F ( ca. 180 Grad C) oven for about 5 minutes.