Rosemary Focaccia Bread

The week after. The season is over. The kids are back at school. I am back in my office, doing the post-season work — the season report, the senior letter writing, the recruiting wrap-up, the planning for next year. The film of the loss is not as instructive as the film of the championship was. The loss was a coin flip in overtime. The loss was a fourth-and-eight throw that was unstoppable. The loss was, in some ways, simply the end of the run, not a fixable problem.

Diego came home for the weekend. He hugged me when he walked in. He said, "Dad. The team played their hearts out." I said, "Yeah." He said, "I watched every snap. The loss was not on you." I said, "I know." He said, "I love you, Dad." I said, "I love you, Diego." He stayed two days. He left Sunday night. He was home for Christmas in three weeks.

I made comfort food all week. Soups. Stews. Slow-cooked things. The kitchen smelled like late fall. Lisa cooked one night — a chicken pot pie, my recipe, which she had been wanting to learn. It was good. It was also a kind statement, a wifely gesture, an attempt to give me a meal I did not have to cook. I appreciated it. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Lisa made the chicken pot pie, and that meant everything — but the next morning I was back in the kitchen before anyone was awake, because that’s where I go when I need to think without thinking. I made this rosemary focaccia, the kind of bread that asks something of you — a little patience, a little pressing and stretching — and gives you something back you didn’t know you needed. The house smelled like an Italian kitchen and late fall all at once, and by the time Diego came downstairs, there was warm bread on the table. That’s what we do. We feed our people. The game is won at the table.

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

Ingredients

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one standard packet)
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for topping
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, your water was too hot or the yeast is old — start over.
Mix the dough. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the kosher salt to the yeast mixture. Add the flour one cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy, soft dough comes together.
Knead. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should spring back slowly when you press a finger into it.
First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Prepare the pan. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9x13-inch rimmed baking sheet and spread it to coat the bottom. Punch down the dough and transfer it to the pan, stretching and pressing it toward the edges as best you can. Let it rest 10 minutes, then press again to fill the pan.
Dimple and top. Using your fingertips, press deep dimples all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Scatter the fresh rosemary evenly, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let the dough rise for another 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 425°F.
Bake. Bake for 22–25 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the edges are crisp. The bottom should sound hollow when you tap it.
Rest and serve. Let the focaccia cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with olive oil for dipping, or just as it is.

Nutrition (per serving)

Rosemary Focaccia Bread — The Week You Just Have to Feed Your People