2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2-cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 c. flour
2 T. honey
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. warm water
2 T. olive oil
Sprinkle yeast in 1/2 c. lukewarm water; stir to dissolve yeast;
set aside 10 minutes
Put 1-cup flour in large bowl; add honey, salt, rest of warm water, and olive oil. Stir in yeast and enough flour for a soft dough.
Knead dough until it feels only slightly sticky, about 5 minutes
Let raise until double in bulk 1- 1 1/2 hours
Punch down, reform in nice round ball, put in bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
About 2 hours before you are ready to assemble your focaccias, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife or metal scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour over a clean surface. One by one place each portion on the floured counter and flatten with either your hands or a rolling pin to a fairly flat oblong shape, about 10 by 3 inches.
Place the focaccias at least 1 inch apart on one or more parchment-lined baking sheets. At this point you can spray each focaccia with cold water and top with fresh rosemary, thyme, and salt if desired
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 450
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan and bake until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately lift off the focaccias and transfer them to wire racks.
