In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast, 2 Tablespoons (30mL) of the olive oil, and water and stir to combine. Once combined, use your hands to squeeze the dough together until all of the flour is hydrated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.

Pour the remaining 3 Tablespoons (45mL) of olive oil into a small bowl, add the minced garlic, and allow to “marinate” while the dough rises.

When the dough has risen, pour 2 Tablespoons (30mL) of the garlic olive oil into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish or pan and spread around the pan. It does not have to go all the way to the edges, but you don’t want a pool of it in the middle.

Pour the risen dough out into the oiled pan, then flip it over so the coated side is facing up.

Use your fingers to gently stretch the dough until it mostly fills the pan. It may not go all the way to the edges, and that’s ok. Stretch it as far as it will go without too much force.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and allow to rise for 2 hours. If you are making this focaccia ahead¹ of time, you may need up to 1 additional hour of rise time in this step. The dough should have puffed quite a bit.

When the dough has finished its second rise, preheat the oven to 450ºF (232ºC). Use your fingertips to stretch the dough again, pressing your fingertips all the way down through the dough to the bottom of the pan. The dough should easily stretch to the edges now.

Drizzle the last remaining Tablespoon of garlic olive oil onto the top of the dough, then scatter evenly with the chopped basil. Place the mozzarella pieces and halved tomatoes spaced out evenly onto the top of the dough, then use your fingertips to press the toppings into the dough, again, pushing all the way through to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.

Bake the focaccia for 25-30 minutes or until desired level of golden brown. The olive oil may bubble up in the corners of the pan, but it should not overflow. If you think it might, place a baking sheet in the oven on the lowest rack to catch any overflow.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before slicing and serving. You can serve it warm or room temperature. Store leftovers² at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Sliced focaccia can be frozen, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.