This Focaccia Bread recipe is just the thing if you are looking for something scrumptious that has just the right mix of crunchy crust and soft chewiness.
And you can make your focaccia extra tasty when you pair it with a delicious dipping sauce, like this herbed bread dipping oil or some Jalapeno Artichoke Dip.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Focaccia bread is the perfect thing to serve to your waiting guests. Set slices of this herbaceous bread out with a dipping sauce and you’re set. Your guests will love it!
- TASTE: The generous amount of olive oil adds great flavor and the rosemary has a distinct piney, lemon taste.
- TEXTURE: It’s super airy and soft on the inside, but crunchy and crusty on the outside. It also has a lot of chew.
- TIME: This recipe takes just over 2 hours, with only 10 minutes of cook time.
- EASE: Making Focaccia Bread takes time and patience, but it’s really easy to do. Follow the instructions in this recipe to see how simple it really is.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Bread basics- You’ll need All-purpose Flour for the dough, Salt for flavor, Dry Active Yeast to help it rise and become airy, and Granulated Sugar to feed the yeast.
- Olive oil- Extra Virgin Olive Oil will give the bread a light taste and help the seasonings stick to the top. You’ll drizzle this on to form a crisp outer crust.
- Rosemary- Dried rosemary adds a wonderful fragrance and flavor to this Focaccia Bread. It can be store-bought or homemade.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute honey- If you prefer to avoid refined sugar, you can make this recipe with honey in its place. You just need something sweet for the yeast.
- Make it gluten-free- Gluten-free all-purpose flour can be substituted in this recipe for it to be more allergen friendly.
- Add other seasonings- You can also make this bread with garlic powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, or basil.
- Use fresh herbs- Dried rosemary works well, but you can also use fresh rosemary if you have it on hand. Just cut it off the stem and roughly chop it.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
- Froth the yeast mixture. Add the sugar and yeast to warm water and mix, then allow it to froth.
- Mix everything with a stand mixer. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil, then the frothy yeast mixture and mix on low. Once the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, dump it onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball.
- Let the focaccia dough rise. Place the ball of dough in a large, oiled bowl and toss to coat the dough. Then, put plastic wrap over the top and let it sit in a warm place for an hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Spread and press the dough. Splash some oil on a baking sheet and place the dough on it. Using your fingertips, press the focaccia dough until it reaches the edges of the pan, then generously dot the dough with your fingers.
Pro Tip: Press deeply when you dimple the dough. Your fingers should reach the bottom of the pan as you do this.
- Add rosemary, proof, and bake. Add oil on top and then sprinkle dried rosemary. Let the dough sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour until it rises. Then, bake it for 10-15 minutes at 470ºF until golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Use warm water to froth the yeast- The yeast won’t activate if the water is too cold, so use warm water (about 105 and 110°F).
- Thicken your dough if it’s runny- If your dough is too runny, you can add an additional tablespoon of flour to it to thicken it up.
- Dimple the dough before baking- Doing this helps the olive oil collect on top and soak in for a moister bread. It also keeps the focaccia from rounding as it rises.
- Let it rise in a warm place- Whether it’s on the countertop or in the oven on a proof setting, place the dough in a warm environment to encourage the yeast to rise.
FAQs
Focaccia bread is made with more yeast than other breads so it comes out fluffier because of how much it rises. It’s also a very moist bread that rises flat and has a crisp outer crust that’s unique.
When you make your focaccia bread, you press dimples into the top of the dough to help it remain flat throughout the baking time. This also allows olive oil to pool in them and soak into the dough so the bread has that wonderful crispness.
Serving Suggestions
This Focaccia Bread is wonderfully versatile and works for salads, soups, sandwiches, and as a side dish. Here are some great ways to serve it.
- Dips: Serve this bread with some good quality balsamic vinegar and oil, Herbed Dipping Oil, Garlic Cream Cheese Dip, or Jalapeno Artichoke Dip.
- Pastas: Pair it with Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Easy Pasta Primavera, Creamy Tomato and Mushroom Rotini Pasta, or Spaghetti Carbonara.
- Salad: Enjoy this Focaccia bread with Antipasto Salad, Spinach Pomegranate Salad, Caprese Salad, and Cucumber Radish Salad.
- Soups: Dip this bread into a bowl of Tortellini Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or Easy French Onion Soup.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: If you would like to make this dough in advance, just mix the focaccia dough and place it in a mixing bowl to rest, the top covered with plastic wrap. Focaccia bread can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it’s best to use it within 2 days.
Storing: You can store this homemade Focaccia Bread at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 2 days. To reheat, just place it in the oven for 10 minutes at 375ºF.
Freeze: Cut it into pieces and then wrap them individually. Place all the pieces in a ziplock freezer bag or container with a tightly-sealed lid and keep it in the freezer for up to a month.
More Scrumptious Breads!
Full Recipe Instructions
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 4 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (add an additional tablespoon if the dough is too runny)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
- Dried rosemary optional
Instructions
Froth the yeast mixture
- Add sugar and yeast to warm water and stir just to incorporate. Let the yeast mixture sit in a warm place until it becomes frothy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, salt, and olive oil.
- Then add the frothy yeast mixture and begin mixing on low speed with the hook attachment. Once the flour begins incorporating, pick up the speed and let the mixer kneed the dough until the dough doesn't stick to the edges of the bowl anymore.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, kneed the dough into a ball.
- Grease the inside of a large bowl with light olive oil and place the dough into the bowl. Toss the dough around the bowl so that it's fully covered in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Splash a few tbsp of olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and place the dough on top.
- Using your fingers, spread the dough apart so that the dough reaches the edges of the sheet. Use your fingers to dot the dough. Be very generous with the dotting. Press until your finger touches the bottom of the baking sheet.
- Drizzle a thin layer of light olive oil on top of the dotted dough. Then add your desired amount of dried rosemary.
- Let the dough sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until the dough rises.
- Preheat the oven to 470 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- Use warm water to froth the yeast- The yeast won’t activate if the water is too cold, so use warm water (about 105 and 110°F).
- Thicken your dough if it’s runny- If your dough is too runny, you can add an additional tablespoon of flour to it to thicken it up.
- Dimple the dough before baking- Doing this helps the olive oil collect on top and soak in for a moister bread. It also keeps the focaccia from rounding as it rises.
- Let it rise in a warm place- Whether it’s on the countertop or in the oven on a proof setting, place the dough in a warm environment to encourage the yeast to rise.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Oct 17, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Ashlee says
First time making bread, recipe is easy to follow.
it was delicious!
Dina says
Thank you, Ashley! I am so happy you loved this recipe!
Honey says
Hi! What kind of flour did you use for this? I ran out of APF can I just use bread flour instead?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Honey, I’ve never used bread flour as a substitute. I don’t see why it shouldn’t work though 🙂
Cj Yukon says
This looks FABULOUS! I must try it!
Marina says
That looks amazing and fairly simple! Will have to try. Thanks Dina!????
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Marina! I hope you enjoy it 🙂