• Combine water and the packet of yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and let sit until it becomes bubbly.
• Add half of the flour. the salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir with a heavy duty scraper or the paddle attachment to make a soft, sticky, dough. Add remaining flour gradually to make a more cohesive dough.
• Using the dough hook, knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, you can add more flour. If it is dry, add more water. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic. It should be a soft and only slightly sticky dough that clings to the hook.
• Place the dough in a large bowl that’s been coated with extra olive oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 F. and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. If you have a stone, you can use that.
• Press the dough into a rectangle about 16 by 8 inches directly onto the parchment. Cover and allow it to rise for another 20-30 minutes. Dimple the dough with your fingers and brush with more oil. Sprinkle with the sea salt.
• Put the dish in the oven or slide parchment onto a preheated pizza stone and bake for 25 minutes or until nice and brown.
• Note: You can also make this with fast-rising yeast. If using fast-rising or "instant" yeast, put the yeast in the bowl with the flour, sugar and salt. Add half cup of water, oil and rosemary. Stir well, then add remaining ½ cup of water spoonfuls at a time until dough is proper consistency.

Caramelized Onion & Nut Version

• This is a new version we really like. The onions are cooked until soft and brown, then caramelize in the oven as they bake on top of the focaccia. You'll need plenty of oil to keep them from drying out in the oven.
• Reduce the oven to 425 for this version to help prevent the toppings from drying out.
• During the second rise, saute one half pound onion, thinly sliced, in 1 ½ tablespoons of extra olive oil. Start at medium then lower the heat until your onions are really soft and brown. This could take 10 minutes or slightly longer. Spread the onions over the focaccia dough before baking. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. If using pecans, sprinkle the pecans on at the end as they are more prone to burning.