Artisan Focaccia Bread

Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, dried Italian herbs, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add warm water, warm milk, and 1/4 cup of oil; blend until everything is well incorporated, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary, until you achieve a soft and sticky dough.

Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing, then drizzle the sides with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, roughly 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to the correct temperature and position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Grease an 11x17-inch baking sheet with oil.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly to cover the entire surface. Use your fingers to create small dimples all over the dough, then let it rest uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Gently arrange cherry tomatoes, asparagus, red peppers, bell peppers, olives, dill, sage, parsley, basil, pine nuts, and pepitas on top of the dough. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the entire surface and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until the bread is golden brown and springs back when pressed, approximately 20 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a cooling rack.