Focaccia Bread
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Warm from the oven this Focaccia Bread has a crisp outside crust and a soft, tender crumb with a dense texture. It can be used as a side for soups and sauces or sliced to make sandwiches.
Homemade focaccia is an Italian flatbread scented with olive oil. It can vary in thickness but I prefer to make focaccia thick enough to cut in half and use as sandwich bread.
It’s usually rectangular in shape and can be easily identified by its dimpled top. While I kept my recipe for focaccia bread simple by topping it with olive oil, salt, and rosemary, you don’t have to limit yourself. You can top the bread with garlic, olives, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked bacon, cheese, and a variety of roasted vegetables.
Focaccia is an easy, no-knead recipe but it does take some time to make. Plan ahead and follow all the tips and tricks I’ve outlined in this post.
Why This Recipe Works
- Both bread flour and all-purpose flour are used to give the bread a chewy yet tender texture.
- Instant or rapid-rise yeast is used for the best rise without proofing.
- The no-knead method makes it easy for beginner bread makers!
What You Need
Ingredients
- Flour: I use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour for the very best texture. Bread flour offers a dense, chewy crumb while all-purpose keeps it tender.
- Yeast: Instant or active dry yeast will work best because it doesn’t require you to activate it first.
- Salt: Table salt goes into the dough while flaked sea salt is sprinkled over the top of the bread.
- Water: It’s important to use cold or room-temperature water.
- Olive oil: Look for a good quality of extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary offers a light fragrance. However, in a pinch, you can use dried rosemary.
Recommended Tools
- A stand mixer with a dough hook will make the process easier. However, the focaccia dough can be made by mixing the ingredients in a large bowl and then kneading by hand.
- The bread is baked in a 10×15-inch pan also known as a jelly roll pan.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
My focaccia recipe uses the stretch and fold method instead of kneading. This method is used with high-hydration doughs like my homemade ciabatta bread. It takes the place of kneading by developing the gluten in the dough. It does take longer but it’s the perfect method for beginners.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Combine the ingredients. Add bread flour, all-purpose flour, instant yeast, table salt, cold water, and extra virgin olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix the dough. Using the dough hook, set the mixer to low speed and let it mix the dough for about 9 minutes. It will be smooth, elastic, and very sticky.
- Let rise. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Turn the dough once to coat all sides with oil. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour. Keep in mind, that the dough will not double in size. This is normal.
- Stretch and fold. Lightly wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking. Fold the dough over itself by gently lifting one edge and folding that edge to the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold again. Do this for a total of 8 folds. Cover and let rise for 1 more hour.
- Transfer dough to pan. Generously grease the sides and bottom of a 10×15-inch pan with extra virgin olive oil. Lightly oil your hands and transfer the dough to the pan. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. Cover the pan and let rise for 1.5 hours.
- Dimple the dough. With lightly oiled hands, press your fingertips into the dough to create dimples.
- Add the topping. Drizzle the dough with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle the top with flakey sea salt and chopped rosemary.
- Bake. Bake the bread at 425°F for 22-26 minutes, until the top and bottom are golden brown.
- Cool and serve. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes then slide a thin spatula under the bread and carefully remove it, placing it on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice with a serrated knife.
Tips For Success
- Make sure to use cold water for this recipe. Cold water slows the rate of fermentation (proofing) which is what we want when it comes to a longer proofing time.
- The longer you bake this herb focaccia the more crisp the outside will be. I highly recommend using a light-colored metal baking pan.
- While I prefer to use instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast here, you can use active dry yeast. You will need to activate it in a little warm water before adding it to the other ingredients.
Storage & Freezing
Focaccia is best the day it is made! However, it can be covered and stored at room temperature for two or three days. It can also be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven if desired.
Recipe FAQ’s
One of the tastiest things to do is slice a pan of baked focaccia in half crosswise and fill it with your favorite fillings. You can then slice it into smaller squares for serving.
Besides making delicious sandwiches with your homemade bread, you can add it to a bread basket or serve it alongside soups, salads, and sauces.
Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 4 cups (520 g) bread flour
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast, or rapid rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ¾ cups (420) cold water
- ¼ cup (50) extra virgin olive oil
For the Topping
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Flaked sea salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
Instructions
Make the Bread
- Add the bread flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, cold water, and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead the dough on low speed for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and sticky. (You can also mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and then knead by hand.)
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Turn the dough once so the top has a light coating of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for one hour.
- Using wet hands so the dough doesn't stick to you. Fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold the dough again; repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 6 more times for a total of 8 folds. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 more hour.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 10×15-inch pan with olive oil.
- Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to the prepared pan and gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. If you find the dough resists stretching, stop, let it rest for about 5 minutes, and then try again. Cover the pan and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until nice and puffy. (If you lightly press into the dough, your finger will leave a slight indentation.)
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Lightly oil your hands and press your fingertips into the dough to create dimples.
Add the Topping
- Drizzle the focaccia dough with olive oil then lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chopped rosemary.
- Bake for about 22 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown on the top and bottom. The longer you bake the Focaccia the more crisp the outside crust will be. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slide a thin spatula under the bread, carefully remove it, and transfer it to a wire rack. Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut into pieces.
Notes
- Yeast: If all you have is active dry yeast, you can use that. Simply activate the yeast in warm water before adding it to the other ingredients. Take ¼ cup of water from the recipe, heat it to 105-115°F, and stir in the yeast along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy. Now you can add it to the recipe in step 1.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.