In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture gets foamy. Add the flour and kosher salt. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is fully hydrated and a sticky, shaggy dough forms.

Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough and turn it to coat completely. Transfer the dough to a Tupperware container (similar in size to an 8x8-inch baking pan) and seal the lid tightly. Place it in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours.

As soon as you wake up in the morning, remove the Tupperware from the fridge. Place it straight onto your kitchen counter, completely unopened, for 4 hours. This lets the chilled dough gently wake up and complete its fermentation before the house warms up for the day.

Line and generously grease an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with olive oil. Gently deflate the dough by pressing down on it with oiled hands to pop the massive, erratic gas pockets.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and let it rise for about 45 minutes until it naturally fills out the corners. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle position.

Just before baking, drizzle the top of the dough with a little more olive oil. With oiled hands, plunge your fingers straight down into the dough all the way to the bottom of the pan to create deep dimples.

Pop the pan into the oven at 450°F. Bake for a total of about 35 minutes until the crust is a deep, majestic golden brown.

The 10-Minute Foil Trick: Keep a close eye on the oven during the last stretch of the bake. If your Everything Bagel seasoning looks perfectly toasted but the bread needs a little more time, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan for the final 10 minutes to shield the dried garlic and onion from scorching.

The exact second the focaccia comes sizzling out of the oven, brush the top lightly with your honey-water mixture. This mimics the traditional bagel-boiling process, instantly locking in moisture and giving the top crust an authentic, shiny, bagel-like chew.

Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to keep the bottom perfectly crisp. Serve warm or slice up for lunch!