Crispy Golden Focaccia Bread in Your Own Kitchen
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This Easy Focaccia bread is soft, chewy, and golden with a crispy olive oil crust, with a dusting of flaky salt and fresh rosemary. It’s the perfect beginner-friendly bread to serve with pasta, soups, or cozy family dinners.
This Focaccia bread recipe is just as good if not better than the kind at Italian restaurants and you can make this with no kneading, no fancy shaping, no stress. Just mix, wait, dimple, bake.
Recipe Highlights
By the end of this, you’ll have a golden loaf of bread that makes an wonderful complement to any meal or as an dipper for an appetizer dip.
Where Focaccia Actually Comes From
Focaccia originates in the coastal region of Italy. It’s name comes from the Latin word, “anis focacius,” meaning hearth or fireplace, because this bread was originally baked directly on hot stones or ashes..
Ingredients
All Purpose Flour – I find this flour works best, in my experience. Bread flour will give you a chewier, more structured crumb, which some people prefer.
Instant yeast – Instant yeast (also called rapid-rise) can be mixed directly into the flour without blooming. If you only have active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm water first and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
warm water – Water should be around 100 degrees, warm to the touch but not hot
virgin olive oil, divided – Use the good stuff. Cheap olive oil tastes flat and won’t give you that fruity, peppery finish.
sea salt and kosher salt – You will use kosher salt in the dough and flakey sea salt for the top of the bread.
Optional toppings: Rosemary, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, garlic, olives, or za’atar all work beautifully. Press them into the dough just before baking so they stick but don’t sink.
Equipment & Kitchen Tools
- 9×13-inch metal baking pan or rimmed sheet pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel – To be used to cover the dough during its rise to prevent it from drying out.
If you don’t have a metal pan, you can use a cast-iron skillet or even a well-oiled cake pan. Just know that thicker pans take longer to heat up, so your bake time might increase by 5 to 10 minutes.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Step by Step Instructions Overview. Full details in recipe card.
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Step 1 – In the stand of a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
Step 2 – Add warm water and a tablespoon of oil. he dough will look shaggy and wet.
Step 3 – Mix on medium until dough is sticky. Grease the bowl slightly and cover to let the dough rise.
Step 4 – After one hour, the dough will have about doubled in size.
Step 5 – Place the dough on a greased 1/4 sheet pan. Cover and let rise about 20 minutes, then drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Dimple the dough with fingers.
Step 6 – Cover and let rise another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Rosemary and sea salt.
Step 7 – Bake as directed. Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. It’s best the day it’s baked, but it holds up surprisingly well for 2 days if stored properly.
Watch the edges and the color. If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. If the bottom isn’t browning enough, slide the pan onto a lower oven rack for the final few minutes.
Time Saving Tips for Focaccia Bread ⏰
- Use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast – Instant yeast can be mixed right into the flour, which skips the extra proofing step and saves time.
- Mix the dough in a stand mixer – A stand mixer with a dough hook makes kneading much faster and easier than doing it by hand.
- Make the dough ahead of time – You can prepare the dough the night before and let it do a slow rise in the refrigerator. The next day, bring it to room temp, dimple, top, and bake.
- Add a little oil your hands before handling the dough – This will prevent sticking and makes dimpling the dough much faster and less messy.
- Double the batch and freeze extra – Bake once and freeze slices for quick sides, sandwich bread, or easy appetizers later.
Serving Suggestions
Focaccia is bread that goes well with so many dishes including Pasta al Forno, Rigatoni alla Vodka and Burrata Caprese salad.
Substitutions and Variations
Once you nail the base recipe, you can really make it your own.
Adding Flavor – Add some cherry tomatoes, olives, red onion, or roasted garlic for flavor variations
Rosemary and garlic – Press fresh rosemary sprigs and thinly sliced garlic into the dough right before baking. The garlic will roast and soften, and the rosemary will crisp up and infuse the oil.
Tomato and olive – Halve cherry tomatoes and press them cut-side up into the dough along with pitted Kalamata olives. The tomatoes will burst and caramelize, adding sweetness and acidity.
More Easy Bread Recipes
Easy Focaccia Bread
Equipment
- electric or stand mixer
- glass mixing bowl
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water about 110°F
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- Flaky sea salt for topping
- Fresh rosemary optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast.
- Add warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix on medium speed for 3–4 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky. (Alternatively, stir with a spatula and knead by hand for 2–3 minutes on a floured surface.)
- Grease the mixing bowl lightly, cover it with a towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. Make Ahead Tip: At this stage, you can cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the dough overnight (8–24 hours). The next day, let it sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes before proceeding to Step 4.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously grease a quarter sheet pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the dough onto the pan and gently stretch it to the edges.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise again for 15–20 minutes, until slightly puffy.
- Uncover the dough. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly over the top and use your fingers to dimple the dough all over.
- Let the dough rise a final time, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes until bubbly.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt and rosemary, if using.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes or until deep golden brown and crisp on the edges. For even deeper color, bake an additional 2–3 minutes if needed.
- Let cool slightly, then slice into squares and serve warm.
Notes
Instant yeast allows you to skip proofing and keeps things fast and simple.
A stand mixer saves time and effort, but hand-kneading works just fine too!
Use all 4 tablespoons of olive oil: 1 in the dough, 2 in the pan, and 1 on top before baking.
Focaccia is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but leftovers can be reheated in a toaster oven for a crisp finish.
Nutrition
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This was a game-changer and will make again. Super delicious!
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