850g (~7 cups) all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
1/2 cup olive oil + some for greasing a bowl
2 tablespoons kosher salt
pinch of sugar
water
bread toppings (optional): dry or fresh rosemary, garlic cloves or minced garlic, kosher salt
Directions
Into the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour and 2-1/2 cups room temperature water. Mix on low with a bread hook for a few minutes.
Prepare the yeast: 1/2 cup of 105°F water with a pinch of sugar, whisk or stir in the yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until fluffy and bubbly.
Add activated yeast mixture to the dough in the stand mixer. Keep mixing on low, until the water is fully absorbed into the dough.
Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt to dough. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes.
Oil a clean bowl. Turn the dough out into the oiled bowl. Cover, and let sit for 2 hours.
Add 1/2 cup of olive oil to an 18 x 13" baking sheet (aka half-sheet). Spread out until the pan is fully coated.
Gently transfer the bread mixture onto the baking sheet using a rubber spatula or bench scraper. Fold the dough onto itself a few times, the olive oil will coat the whole thing and it will become quite slippery. Start to spread the dough across the surface of the pan. If the dough keeps springing back, place some olive oil on the bread and cover it with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. This may take a few rounds to get it to cover the whole pan.
Once the dough is fully stretched out, add a bit more olive oil. There are two options from here:
- Slower option: Cover and let it ferment overnight in the fridge (about 12 hours). Remove from fridge and skip to below.
- Faster option: Skip to below.
Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough. Let rise, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450°F (will take about 30 minutes).
Coat the dough one last time with olive oil and any optional toppings (kosher salt, rosemary, etc) and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet immediately, and place bread on wire rack to cool. Allow to cool for around 90 minutes before cutting.
Adapted from
https://basicswithbabish.co/basicsepisodes/bread