Date and Hazelnut Focaccia

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and gently mix. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until small bubbles form at the sides. Add 1 cup of flour, mix well, and let rest for ten minutes.
2. Add the rest of the flour, olive oil, and salt, and mix well with a spoon until you have a shaggy mass. Turn out onto a floured work surface, sprinkle more flour on top, and let rest ten minutes.
3. Gently knead dough by lifting half and folding it over the other half, pressing down, turning the dough, and repeating the lifting and folding, about a dozen times or until smooth and elastic.
4. Wash and dry bowl and brush it with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat in olive oil. Cover with a towel at let rise until doubled. It took me two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and brush the parchment paper with oil.
6. Turn out dough onto parchment paper and press or stretch it out until you have a rectangular shape that covers most of the pan. Use your fingertips to dimple the dough. Let rest 20 minutes.
7. Brush dough with olive oil. Press dates halves into dough, flat side down, three date halves vertically and six horizontally. Sprinkle over hazelnuts, then cinnamon, then sea salt.
8. Bake twenty-five minutes, until well browned at the edges. Slice into eighteen pieces, with one date half on each piece.