The Ultimate Thin and Crispy Focaccia (Hello, Crispy Edges!)

In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the warm water ($40\text{°C}\text{ to }46\text{°C}$) and cane sugar. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the water, give it a gentle stir, and let it stand for about 5-10 minutes. You should see it become foamy or bubbly, indicating the yeast is active. If it doesn’t foam, it’s best to discard the mixture and start again with fresh yeast.

Once the yeast is foamy, add the all-purpose flour ($500\text{ g}$) and fine sea salt ($12\text{ g}$ / 2 teaspoons) to the bowl. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough begins to form. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for about 5 minutes. The dough should become very elastic and quite sticky - it will be too wet to easily work with your hands, but it should still come together as a cohesive mass and start to pull away slightly from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems excessively wet like a thick batter and isn't coming together, add a little extra flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it just forms a very soft, sticky ball.

Brush a large, clean bowl with $30\text{ ml}$ (2 tablespoons) of extra-virgin olive oil. Using an oiled spatula or your oiled hands, carefully scrape the sticky dough into the prepared bowl. Gently turn the dough over to coat it lightly with the oil from the bowl, or brush any pooling oil over its surface. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has impressively doubled in size. In cooler weather, you can use your oven with just the light on, or on its lowest 'plate warming' or 'bread proof' setting (around $30\text{°C}$).

While the dough is on its first rise (or towards the end of it), prepare your infused oil. In a small bowl, combine $60\text{ ml}$ (4 tablespoons) of extra-virgin olive oil with the roughly chopped garlic (4 cloves) and the fresh rosemary leaves (from 4 sprigs, removed from stems). Set this aside to allow the flavours to meld. Next, prepare your large baking pan (a sheet pan approximately $33\text{cm x }45\text{cm}$ or $13\text{x}18\text{ inches}$ works well). If your pan is not nonstick, grease it thoroughly with butter before adding the oil to prevent any sticking. Brush the pan (lined with parchment paper if preferred, then oiled) with $30\text{ ml}$ (2 tablespoons) of extra-virgin olive oil. Once the dough has completed its first rise, oil your hands. Gently deflate the dough by sliding your hand under one edge and folding it towards the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat a few times to form a rough ball. Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared oiled pan. Turn it over to coat in the pan oil, then gently press, dimple, and stretch the dough outwards to mostly fill the pan, focusing on making the edges a bit thinner for that desired crispiness. Cover the pan again with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes, or until it's visibly puffy and nearly doubled.

About 20-30 minutes into the second rise, position an oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to $220\text{°C}$ ($425\text{°F}$). Once the focaccia has finished its second rise, uncover it. Drizzle your prepared garlic and rosemary infused oil evenly over the entire surface of the dough. With oiled fingertips, press firmly down into the dough, creating deep dimples all over, right through to the bottom of the pan. This creates those lovely valleys for the oil to pool in. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and any additional chopped fresh rosemary or other optional toppings you desire (like sun-dried tomatoes, sliced olives, or Parmesan cheese).

Carefully place the sheet pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through if your oven has hot spots. The focaccia is ready when it's a rich, deep golden brown on top, and the edges are visibly crisp and pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan. Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool a little further. It's best enjoyed warm on the day it's baked.