Cast Iron Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt

A round cast iron skillet with a golden focaccia topped with rosemary and flaky sea salt.

5 from 1 vote

Cast Iron Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt

This homemade Cast Iron Focaccia with Rosemary and Sea Salt has a thick crispy bottom with a super light and airy interior and a thin crispy golden top.

Prep Time15

Rise Time1 40

Total Time1 55

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

230 grams water
10 grams honey
5 grams instant yeast
20 grams extra vigin olive oil
190 grams 00 flour
130 grams bread flour
7 grams salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

Add the water to a large mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or just until warm, but not hot. Add the honey and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until it starts to bubble.
Add the extra virgin olive oil and stir. Add the 00 flour, bread flour, and salt and combine. The dough will be very wet.
Work the dough for 10 minutes using what I call the flick and scoop method. This is similar to the French Fold Method, sometimes called the Bertinet Method or Slap and Fold. It’s easier than it may seem.
Pick up the wet dough and while still holding the dough flick or slap the other half of the dough (not in your hand) onto the counter.
See the photos in the post above for more details.
Scoop up the dough and again slap it on the counter or a clean work surface. Repeat for 10 minutes. Do not flour or oil the work surface while kneading. Your hands and the counter will get sticky.
Shape the dough into a round ball and place it back in the large mixing bowl. Cover it with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and cover it with plastic wrap. Be sure to use a large bowl. If the dough rises to meet the plastic, it will stick and need to be scraped off. There should be plenty of room to allow the dough to rise.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until roughly doubled in size 1-2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a 10-inch round cast iron pan. Add the dough to the pan. Gently spread the dough with your fingers from the center outwards to stretch to the edges of the cast iron pan. Allow to rise for 40 minutes. If you are using a different-sized pan, you may need to adjust the baking time.
Press dimples into the top of the dough. Drizzle with additional olive oil, and top with flaky sea salt and rosemary.
Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes or until the top becomes a deep golden brown in color.

Notes

Choosing Olive Oil: The type of olive oil you choose will impact the overall flavor of the focaccia. Be sure to choose extra virgin olive oil, not light or regular. I prefer Spanish olive oil, and I love the versions found at Trader Joe’s and Costco.

Flour: 00 Flour is finely ground flour. It is sold by King Arthur at many grocery stores, but I also love a brand from Italy called Caputo that you can sometimes find at US grocery stores. Bread flour is flour with higher protein content. If you don't have either of these, you can make it with all-purpose flour.

Warming the Water: If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and the dough will not rise. Be sure it is at a warm, but not hot temperature.

When Working the Dough: Do not add any flour or oil to the dough or counter. This will change the hydration of the dough, impacting how light and fluffy it is when it bakes. Your hands and the counter will get sticky, that's okay.

Rise #1: Use an extra large bowl for this rise. If you use a small bowl, the dough may rise so much that it touches the plastic wrap. Since it's a very wet dough, it will stick to the plastic wrap and need to be scraped off. To avoid this, use a large bowl.

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