465gramsunbleached all purpose flour, 3 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp , (I used King Arthur brand with 11.7% protein content)
10gramskosher salt , 2 1/2 tsp , (I used Diamond Crystal Kosher)
80gramsolive oil , 1/2 cup , divided
unsalted butter, for buttering the pan
1cuppitted Castelvetrano olives
1tbspza'atar
flakey sea salt
Instructions
Whisk water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl or measuring cup and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until a shaggy, wet dough forms, taking care that there are no dry, flour patches.
In a separate large bowl, add 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) of olive oil and oil the sides of the bowl with your fingers.
Transfer the dough into the bowl. With a little olive oil on your hands, quickly flip the dough over.
Cover the bowl very well with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for AT LEAST 12 hours. This can actually sit in the fridge for up to 2 days to develop the flavor.
Butter a 10" round cake pan. Drizzle in 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Transfer the dough into the prepared cake pan pouring any extra oil left in the bowl onto the top of the dough.
Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until doubled in size and relaxed. This can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours.
Place rack at the bottom of the oven and pre-heat to 450˚F
Drizzle the dough with remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Lightly oil your fingers, dimple the focaccia all over as if you're playing the piano. Don't be afraid to be aggressive. My fingertips touch the bottom of the pan when I do this.
Add the olives all around the dough by pressing some deep inside and leaving some closer to the top.
Sprinkle with za'atar and flakey sea salt.
Bake, on the bottom rack of the oven, until the focaccia is golden brown and puffy, about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, and remove the focaccia onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
I wrote this recipe using gram measurements and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you make it that way. I have written in the cup measurements from my conversion chart. An aluminum cake pan works best to get a crispy crust. Don't use non-stick here or a spring form pan! You can also bake this in a 13" x 9" baking pan. You want to remove the baked focaccia from the pan as soon as you can handle it so that the crust stays nice and crispy.