You can easily customize focaccia with your favorite herbs and spices. The anise seed is a nice departure from my go-to of rosemary or sage. If you opt to use fresh herbs, I would double the amount.
Ingredients
2¼ tsp. Active Dry Yeast
½ tsp. Sugar
1½ c. Warm Water, divided
2 tsp. Kosher Salt
2 tsp. Anise Seeds
¼ c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for the top
4 c. All Purpose Flour, plus more for kneading
½ tsp. Flaky Sea Salt (such as Maldon)
Instructions
Dissolve yeast and sugar in a ½ c. of the warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is creamy and starts to bubble.
Add remaining water, ¼ c. olive oil, kosher salt, and anise seeds, stir to combine. Add flour and mix, using the dough hook attachment, until a rough ball forms, about 1 minute. The dough should be pretty wet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead until smooth (about 1 minute), incorporating a little more flour, if needed. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled sheet pan. Stretch the dough to fit the pan, cover, and allow to rise for another hour.
During the last 30 minutes of rising, preheat your oven to 425°.
Using your fingertips, make indentations all over the top of the focaccia. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Focaccia is best served warm.
Recipe by strawberryplum at http://www.strawberryplum.com/anise-seed-sea-salt-focaccia/