Olive Focaccia — The Bread That Bridges One Year to the Next

The year ends. 2022 → 2023. The year the book published. The year Hazel was born. The year the second book deal happened. The year we escaped the desert and returned to the ocean. The biggest year of my life, measured in every way: words written, books sold, meals cooked, children born. And yet the year ends the same way every year ends: with appetizers on New Year's Eve and pots banging at midnight and a baby sleeping through it all. Caleb banged his pot. He's been doing this since he was two. By four, the pot-banging is expert-level. He generates noise that could wake the Marines at Miramar, which is appropriate since we might be moving there. Ryan and I toasted. Cider. The tradition. 'To 2023,' he said. 'To San Diego,' I said. 'We don't know about San Diego yet.' 'I'm manifesting, Ryan.' 'You're manifesting with sparkling cider?' 'Manifesting doesn't require alcohol. It requires belief and appetizers.' Belief and appetizers. The Rachel Abernathy guide to manifestation. Mom called at midnight Eastern (9 PM Pacific). She was already in bed. 'Happy New Year, Rachel.' 'Happy New Year, Mom. How's Dad?' 'He's asleep. He went to bed at eight. The man has become his garden — dormant in winter, active in spring.' Dormant in winter, active in spring. The most poetic description of Kevin Abernathy anyone has ever given. Donna should write her own book. (I've been telling her this for years. She always says, 'I cook. I don't write.' As if they're different. As if they're not the same thing.) I made Mom's appetizer spread. The tradition. Every New Year's. The spinach dip, the meatballs, the pigs in blanket, the cheese board. The food of transitions. The food of 'one year ends and another begins and the appetizers bridge the gap.' 2023. The year of the second book. The year of (maybe) San Diego. The year Caleb starts kindergarten (maybe). The year Hazel learns to run (definitely). The appetizers are gone. The pot is put away. The baby is sleeping. Happy New Year. The kitchen is ready for whatever comes next. It's always ready.

The appetizer spread is the anchor of our New Year’s Eve — the thing that holds the night together while the clock ticks toward midnight and Caleb readies his pot. This olive focaccia is the centerpiece of that spread every single year: warm from the oven, golden at the edges, loaded with briny olives that somehow taste like possibility. If manifestation requires belief and appetizers, then this is the bread I’m manifesting San Diego with.

Olive Focaccia

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour rise | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F), divided
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup warm water, the sugar, and the yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5–8 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and kosher salt. Add the yeast mixture, remaining 1 cup warm water, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead and rise. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Prepare the pan. Generously coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil. Punch down the dough and press it evenly into the prepared pan. If it springs back, let it rest 5 minutes and press again.
5. Add toppings. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the dough. Using your fingertips, press deep dimples all across the surface. Scatter the Kalamata and green olives, sliced garlic, and rosemary evenly over the top. Press the toppings gently into the dimples.
6. Second rise. Cover loosely and let rest for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
7. Bake. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 22–26 minutes until the top is deep golden and the edges are crisp. The bottom should be golden when you lift a corner with a spatula.
8. Cool and slice. Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing into squares and serving warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 380mg