Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary

Preparation Time: 95 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: 2
Spiciness: 0
Number of Servings: 8

This dish is suitable for any time of the day, as a standalone morning (or afternoon) snack, or as a side to various meals.

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. In a large bowl, combine the flour with salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in one tablespoon of olive oil and the dissolved yeast. Mix the ingredients with your fingers or a spoon until they come together to form a rough dough. If the dough is too dry, add a little more lukewarm water. Then, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until it becomes smooth, elastic, and firm, and no longer sticks to your hands. Shape the kneaded dough into a loaf, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprigs. Grease a low baking dish with oil. Transfer the risen dough from the bowl to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into a large oval (approximately 35 x 23 cm). Transfer the rolled-out dough to the prepared baking dish. Use the handle of a wooden spoon (or your fingers) to make indentations in the dough, pressing olives and rosemary leaves into them. Drizzle the dough with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Let the dough rise uncovered for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Bake the focaccia in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Once baked, drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Cut into pieces of any size, serve on a plate or platter, and enjoy warm or cold.

Optionally, sprinkle the focaccia with grated Parmesan or another cheese before baking.