Ingredients:
For the prep:
1 teaspoon soft butter
For the dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour (512g)
1 cup raisins (160g)
⅓ cup sugar (90g)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (10g)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (4g)
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, (1 packet) (8g)
2 cups hot tap water, 120-125˚F.) (455g)
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
For the topping:
3 tablespoon coarse or raw sugar, I love this sugar
Directions:
For Prep:
Using a paper towel, spread the butter over the bottom and up the sides of two 8 OR 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the center of each pan and tilt the pan to distribute the oil over the bottom. Set aside.
For the dough:
In a medium-large bowl, combine flour, raisins, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and instant yeast. Stir well. Add the hot water. Using a Danish Whisk, sturdy wooden spoon, or a rubber spatula, mix until all of the flour is well incorporated (check the bottom of the bowl, there should be no small pockets of flour left). Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a plate and allow to rise at room temperature for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
(If you want to make this dough the night before, see the notes below this recipe.)
Gently deflate the dough by stirring it from the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Divide the dough in half and place one piece of dough in each prepared pan, turning to coat with oil. Tuck the edges of the dough underneath to form a rough ball.
Cover the pans with plastic wrap or two plates and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
Drizzle the dough in each pan with one tablespoon of oil. With oiled fingers, using both hands, press straight down and create deep dimples that go all the way through the dough (in other words, you’ll actually be making deep holes.) If necessary, gently stretch the dough as you dimple to allow the dough to fill the pan.
To finish:
Preheat the oven to 375˚F with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.
Sprinkle tops of each focaccia with 1½ tablespoons of coarse sugar and allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are a nice golden color and the undersides are crisp and golden (you can use a table knife to gently lift up one focaccia to check the underside.
Remove the pans from the oven. Gently flip the bread out onto a cool rack and remove the parchment if it’s still attached to the focaccia. Turn right side up and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Serve warm or allow to cool completely then store in a zippered bag.
To freeze: To freeze, allow the bread to cool completely, then transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze. Thaw and enjoy at room temperature or warm for 10 minutes in a 325˚F oven.
Optional:
Make a glaze out of either lemon juice, heavy cream, or water, and powdered sugar. Just mix them together until you get the desired consistency and drizzle over the bread once cooled.
