Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the water and 2 TBSP of olive oil in a measuring up.

Using a stand mixer with the dough attachment, or a hand mixer with the dough attachments, slowly incorporate the liquid with the dry ingredients at a slow speed. After you have added all the liquid, beat the dough for a full 5 minutes. You will notice the texture of the dough change. This step is very important to ensure that the flour hydrates properly.

Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1-1.5 hours, until double in size. Rising time will depend on the temperature of the room -- if it's cold, it will take longer to rise. If it's warm, the rising time will be shorter.

Prepare a baking sheet or a cast iron pan to cook your focaccia bread. I used a 10 x 15 inch baking sheet for the bread shown in the photos, but I've also successully used a 10 inch cast iron pan. Spread 2 TBSP of olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

After your dough has had its first rise, take an oiled spatula (this will prevent the dough from sticking) and mix it to get the air out. Transfer the dough onto the oiled baking sheet.

The dough is extremely sticky. You will need to wet your hands to spread it out.** Once the dough is spread, create the the dimples with your fingers. You may need to wet your hands again to do this.

Drizzle the remaining 1 TBSP of olive oil on the top of the bread and sprinkle generously with flaky salt. Feel free to add herbs, such as rosemary, at this stage.

Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes. It may not double its size, but it will rise!

While the dough is in its second rise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Make sure your oven is hot - I do this by turning my oven on at the beginning of the dough's second rise. This gives the oven about 30 minutes to get hot.

After the 30 minute rise, remove the cover on the dough and place into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until the bread is a deep golden brown.

Let the focaccia bread cool for at least an hour. This will help the crumb set and will improve the bread's texture.

This focaccia bread is best eaten the same day. The texture does dry out after a day, especially after it's been cut.