Ingredients for the Sponge:
1 Cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast dissolve in ˝ cup lukewarm water

For the Second Rising:
2 ˝ Cups unbleached all –purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water
˝ Cup loosely packed, shredded fresh sage leaves or 2 Tbsp crumbled dried sage (see tips)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Sea Star™ sea salt

Tips:
Use new dry herbs – not the old stuff from the spice rack! As a rule, dry herbs and spices have a shelf life of one year. Packaged spices and herbs are freshest in the fall, right after the summer harvest.

Experiment with shapes for your dough. Try a diamond or wreath pattern. Just stretch the dough into the desired form. When serving, slice and leave in this shape for a festive table.

Recipe Preparation:
Prepare the sponge by putting the flour in a medium-size bowl. Add the dissolved yeast and mix with the flour. Knead the dough 10 minutes by hand (4 minutes by machine). The dough should be smooth and pliable, put in a lightly floured bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise 2 to 3 hours, or until doubled in size.

Combine all the ingredients of the "second rising," except the salt, in a large bowl. Add the "sponge" and repeat the same process as before, knead energetically 10 minutes by hand (4 minutes by machine). Dust the dough lightly with flour, place in large bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise for two hours. The dough should double in size and have small bubbles over its surface from the active yeast.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Lightly oil a 10- or 12-inch-long baking sheet. Roll the dough out to about ˝-inch thickness and place on the baking sheet. Crush the sea salt with a mortar and pestle, or place in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Sprinkle the sea salt over the focaccia dough. For a beautiful decoration, lay several whole sage leaves in an attractive pattern. Bake the focaccia until it has a nice golden brown color, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.