Focaccia is the bread I make when I want the reward of homemade bread without the full commitment of a sourdough bake. It's forgiving, fast-rising, and the dimpled, glossy, herb-scattered top is one of the most satisfying things to pull from an oven. The cabin smells extraordinary for hours afterward.
The dough
Mix three and a half cups of bread flour with two teaspoons of instant yeast, one and a half teaspoons of salt, and a quarter cup of good olive oil. Add one and a half cups of warm water and mix until a shaggy dough forms — it will be sticky and that's correct. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour in a warm cabin kitchen. Punch down, transfer to a well-oiled 9x13 pan, and dimple aggressively with your fingers. Cover and let rise another thirty minutes.
The topping
Roast a whole head of garlic — cut the top off, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, forty minutes at 375°F — while the dough rises. Squeeze the soft, sweet cloves over the dimpled dough. Scatter fresh rosemary, a generous pinch of flaky salt, and a final drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 425°F for twenty to twenty-two minutes until deeply golden. Let it cool for ten minutes before tearing in. This is not a bread you slice. You tear it.