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Even if you’ve never baked a loaf of bread in your life, Italian Focaccia Bread is an easy, forgiving, and extremely delicious way to dabble. The famous flatbread is spongy on the inside, yet delightfully crusty on the outside. This is the recipe I learned in culinary school, and I’ve been making it ever since.
In my humble opinion, bread-making is a luxury. If you have the time, resources, and energy to make bread from scratch, you are blessed indeed! Personally I find it relaxing and therapeutic, and also so fun with the most delicious outcome. Warm, fresh bread straight from the oven is a moment of luxury.
If you’re a newbie to the bread-making scene, focaccia is a great “starter” bread. It uses yeast, but it’s very forgiving, and you pat it out in a circle just like pizza dough.
You don’t have to worry about keeping sourdough starter alive, or rolling butter into layers like brioche. It’s just a straight-forward recipe with limitless customization possibilities. And the texture is delightful: Soft inside with a firm crust, a chewy bite packed with lots of flavor.
Give Focaccia a try, and I hope you love it like I do!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Active dry yeast: Sold in small packets or jars at the store in the baking aisle. If you already have some, make sure it’s active and hasn’t expired. If you buy the jar, store it indefinitely in the freezer after opening.
- Sugar: a little sugar (or honey) feeds the yeast.
- Rosemary: Or any other fresh herb such as thyme, basil, or chives. Or try a seasoning blend like Italian seasoning or Za’atar spice.
- Salt: Flaked sea salt by Maldon or or finishing salt Jacobsen, or substitute kosher salt.
Step-by-step instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fit with the dough attachment, add warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together flour and salt. Turn the mixer speed to medium, then add the flour in batches, ½ cup at a time. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray or olive oil. Turn out the dough, shape it into a ball, and place in the prepared bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet (at least 13 inches long and wide) with parchment paper or coat generously with olive oil. Punch down the dough, then form in to a 12-inch circle (no more than 1 inch thick).
- Brush the top of the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rise in a warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees, see notes) until doubled in volume, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dimple the surface of the dough with your fingertips, then brush the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle with rosemary and flaked sea salt to taste.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes, then cut into wedges.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes one 12-inch circle of Focaccia, enough for 8 hearty slices (more or less depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (do not refrigerate; refrigeration will just dry the bread out).
- Make ahead: The dough can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the first rise, and go from there.
- Freezer: Wrap focaccia tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer-safe bag, label, date, and freeze for up 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. Reheat in a 325-degree oven for about 5 minutes if desired.
- Focaccia mix-ins: For more texture and flavor, you can stir ingredients directly into the dough. You want something soft but not too wet. I recommend about 3 ouncesof one mix-in such as finely chopped raw onions (my favorite to go with the fresh rosemary on top), minced sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, or minced pitted olives.
- Favorite toppings for focaccia: This recipe uses just fresh rosemary and flaked sea salt, but there are many great ways to make focaccia. A good rule of thumb is to limit yourself to 1 or 2 toppings. Try olives, caramelized onions, citrus zest, tomato slices, cheese, chili flakes, or roasted peppers.
- To create a warm environment ideal for yeast-rising:
- Preheat your oven to its minimum temperature (170 degrees, 200 degrees, etc.), but shut it off once the temperature reaches 110 degrees.
- Place your dough (in a greased bowl, covered with plastic wrap), on a baking sheet and in the oven. The oven temperature will drop when you open the oven door, but enough residual heat will remain that your dough should steadily rise.
Recipe FAQs
Foh-KAHT-tchah. That’s all there is to it! The emphasis is on the middle syllable.
Originating in the Mediterranean, this ancient yeasted flatbread has been made by everyday people for generations. Traditionally baked over a hearth on a tile, it is a predecessor to what we know and love as pizza. “Focacia” is Latin for hearth or fireside.
More Italian favorites
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Chicken Milanese
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Pizzelle
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Focaccia
Ingredients
- 12 ounces warm water (110 degrees)
- 1 packet active dry yeast (0.75 ounces or 2 ¼ teaspoons, see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (see note 2)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary crushed (see note 3)
- flaked sea salt to taste, such as Maldon (see note 4)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fit with the dough attachment, add warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together flour and salt. Turn the mixer speed to medium, then add the flour in batches, ½ cup at a time. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray or olive oil. Turn out the dough, shape into a ball, and place in prepared bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet (at least 13 inches long and wide) with parchment paper or coat generously with olive oil. Punch down the dough, then form in to a 12-inch circle (no more than 1 inch thick).
- Brush the top of the dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let rise in a warm place (80 degrees to 85 degrees, see notes) until doubled in volume, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dimple the surface of the dough with your fingertips, then brush the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle with rosemary and flaked sea salt to taste.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes, then cut into wedges.
Notes
- Active dry yeast: Sold in small packets or jars at the store in the baking aisle. If you already have some, make sure it’s active and hasn’t expired. If you buy the jar, store it indefinitely in the freezer after opening.
- Sugar: a little sugar (or honey) feeds the yeast.
- Rosemary: Or any other fresh herb such as thyme, basil, or chives. Or try a seasoning blend like Italian seasoning or Za’atar spice.
- Salt: Flaked sea salt by Maldon or or finishing salt Jacobsen, or substitute kosher salt.
- Yield: This recipe makes one 12-inch circle of Focaccia, enough for 8 hearty slices (more or less depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (do not refrigerate; refrigeration will just dry the bread out).
- Make ahead: The dough can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the first rise, and go from there.
- Freezer: Wrap focaccia tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer-safe bag, label, date, and freeze for up 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. Reheat in a 325-degree oven for about 5 minutes if desired.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Thank you Meggan. This recipe is sweet. God bless you!
Hi Ronald, you are so welcome! I’m glad you loved this focaccia bread! Take care! – Meggan
I really love this recipe. I have made it 4 times. Thanks a million.