Put the flour into the food processor with the dough hook inserted, crumble the yeast and add it along with the sugar. Slowly add the water and knead the dough for 20 minutes. The dough should completely separate from the bowl rim and form a compact mass.
Only now, while kneading constantly, gradually sprinkle the salt into the dough, and slowly add the oil. Knead the dough for another ten minutes so that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.
The dough is soft, which is why you should grease both the work surface and your hands well before you place it on the surface. Once you have done this, fold the dough several times. To do this, take the edges of the dough in your hand and place them in the centre. Repeat this with every edge of the dough for about five minutes. This will give it a certain stability.
Turn the dough upside down and form it into a round bundle. The dough should now be allowed to rise in a bowl covered with plastic foil for 60 minutes. Afterwards, it has approximately doubled in volume. After this time, you will notice that the focaccia dough is much drier, which makes it easier to handle.
Grease the baking tray with some oil. Now, put the dough on the baking tray and spread it out with your hands. However, it should only be spread out by pressing, do not pull or stretch it, until it fills the entire tray. Here I recommend applying light pressure with your fingertips from the middle of the dough to the outside. Cover the spread dough with some cling film and let it rest for another 60 minutes.
Sprinkle the surface of the dough with a thin layer of coarse salt. Pour two spoons of oil over the dough and press the dough firmly with your fingertips. By doing so, oil and salt are worked into the dough, at the same time forming the characteristic holes, which should be even and relatively close together. The salt helps to create a crust.
Again, cover the spread out dough with cling film and let it rise for 60 minutes, or until the focaccia has doubled in height. This can take considerably longer in winter than in summer as warmer surroundings speed up the process.
Bake
Remove the cling film and sprinkle some warm water on the surface of the dough before baking. The water keeps the dough moist and gives it its typical light colour. Ideally, place a container of water in the oven. Bake the finished dough in a heated oven at around 230 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Since every oven is different, the baking time can vary. After baking, let the focaccia cool down on a grid. This is especially important to keep the focaccia crispy. It is known that the focaccia usually shines with fat. You can achieve this by drizzling over a little oil. The focaccia can be served hot or cold.