Focaccia Recipe

Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Pour 4 tbsp really good extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of the pan.

Combine hot water, 1¼ oz. olive oil, kosher salt, bread flour, instant yeast, and ½ tsp Herbs de Provence in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at low speed until most of the flour has incorporated, then turn the speed to medium-high. Beat for 1 minute.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Rub your fingers with olive oil and use them to push the dough to the edges of the pan and to make indentations in the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, place it in a warm, draft-free spot, and let it rise to double its height for 1 hour. The dough should be puffy but stable.

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 400°F.

After the dough has risen, brush the dough with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle the top, lightly and evenly, with flaked sea salt and the remaining 1 tsp Herbs de Provence. Once again, use your fingers to make indentations across the dough and from the surface of the dough to the bottom.

Bake 20 minutes.

Brush the top with the remaining 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter and very lightly sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt.

Rotate the pan front to back and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown on the bottom and the top.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the bread out of the pan onto the wire rack to finish cooling.