This is the only Focaccia recipe you need! It has the perfect chewy, airy texture and the best flavor. With no kneading required and minimal hands-on prep time, this focaccia bread is incredibly easy to make. We love it with rosemary and sea salt, or try one of the other flavor variations below.
Love baking bread from scratch? You might also enjoy my Biscuit Recipe, Whole Wheat Bread and Dinner Rolls.
The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe
If you’ve never tried baking focaccia before, you are in for a real treat. This focaccia bread has wowed numerous people around our dinner table, including myself! There’s just something about the soft, chewy texture and herby, salty topping that keeps you going back for more.
Some recipes for focaccia require overnight dough chilling or multiple rounds of stretching and folding the dough over a period of a few hours, but not this recipe. This focaccia bread recipe is as simple as it gets! There’s no kneading, chilling or dough stretching required and the active prep time is quick and easy.
This focaccia bread is one of my very favorite baking recipes. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Focaccia Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient list is short and simple! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Warm Water: I like to use an instant read thermometer to check that the water temperature is between 105-115°F. If it’s too cool, the yeast won’t activate properly and if it’s too hot it can kill the yeast.
- Honey: The sugar in the honey helps to activate the yeast. You can substitute granulated sugar if desired; you only need 2 teaspoons.
- Active Dry Yeast: The yeast is what makes the focaccia bread rise. If you’re new to baking with yeast, don’t worry, the method here is so simple that even a beginner can master it.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
- Olive Oil: The olive oil is used in the dough, for greasing the pan, and for drizzling on top of the focaccia before baking.
- Salt: Adding salt to the dough is essential for flavor. I use regular table salt in the dough and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the bread before baking.
- Fresh Rosemary and Flaky Sea Salt: For topping the focaccia. The flavor combination of the salt, herbs and olive oil is so delicious! Fresh rosemary is best but dried will also work if you don’t have access to fresh.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Proof the yeast. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm water, honey and yeast. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, until it is foamy and/or bubbly. If nothing happens after 5-10 minutes, you should start over with new yeast since the yeast is likely dead.
Mix the dough. Add the flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt to the yeast mixture. Mix until combined and then continue stirring and folding the dough over on itself for 1 minute. The dough will be very sticky.
Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to the baking pan. Grease the baking pan with olive oil and transfer the dough to the pan. Letting the dough rest for 10 minutes can relax it and make it easier to spread out over the bottom of the pan.
Second rise. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Dimple the dough. Use oiled fingers to dimple the dough by pressing your fingers down into the dough all the way to the bottom of the pan. Do this in different spots all around the bread. Then drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle on the fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt.
Bake for 22-26 minutes, until the bread is golden brown on top. Let cool for about 15 minutes (if you can wait!), then slice and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- A metal pan is best for baking focaccia because metal promotes even baking. If you only have a glass pan, that will work too.
- If your kitchen is cool, you can create a warm place for the bread to rise in your oven. To do this, turn on the oven to 200° F for only 1-2 minutes and then turn the oven off. This warms the oven just enough to make a warm environment for the dough to rise.
- Focaccia is best the day you make it, but still tastes good on the second day.
Recipe Variations
- Garlic Butter: Bake focaccia for 15 minutes after dimpling the dough (do not drizzle on the final tablespoon of olive oil or sprinkle with sea salt or rosemary – yet.) While the focaccia bakes, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Brush this over the partially baked focaccia, then sprinkle on the rosemary (if desired) and sea salt. Bake for 7-11 more minutes, until focaccia is golden brown on top.
- Parmesan: Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Herbs/Seasonings: You can substitute dried Italian seasoning for the fresh rosemary. Or experiment with other fresh or dried herbs that you enjoy.
- Olive: Press halved kalamata olives into the top of the focaccia before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Focaccia bread goes well with almost any meal. I love to serve it with Italian favorites like Chicken Cacciatore and Lasagna. It’s the perfect side dish to serve alongside a pot of soup. Try a hearty Minestrone Soup or Tortellini Soup. Focaccia makes an amazing sandwich bread, too. Our favorite is Grilled Vegetables and Basil Pesto served on sliced focaccia bread.
5 from 1 rating
Focaccia Bread
Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Rise/Rest Time: 2 hours hrs
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
This Focaccia Bread is sure to impress everyone at your dinner table! It has the perfect chewy, airy texture and the best flavor. With no kneading required and minimal hands-on prep time, this focaccia recipe is incredibly easy to make. We love it with rosemary and sea salt, or try one of the other flavor variations listed in the notes below.
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water, 105-115°F
- 2 teaspoons honey, or granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, one ¼ ounce packet
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour, 420 grams
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing hands
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, honey and yeast. Whisk gently to combine. Let rest for about 5 minutes, until foamy/bubbly. If the mixture doesn't foam or bubble, start over with new yeast, as the yeast is likely dead.
Add the flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined. Then continue stirring and folding the dough over on itself for 1 minute. The dough will be very sticky.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan (a metal pan is best, but glass will also work) with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use oiled hands to transfer the dough to the baking pan, spreading the dough out so that it mostly covers the bottom of the pan. If the dough is resistant to stretching out, let it rest for about 10 minutes to relax the dough and then try again.
Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425° F.
After the dough has risen for 45 minutes, use oiled fingers to dimple the dough by pressing your fingers down into the dough all the way to the bottom of the pan. Do this in different spots all around the bread. Then drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle on the fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt.
Immediately transfer the bread to the preheated oven and bake for 22-26 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Focaccia is best the day it is made but it will still be tasty on the second day.
Notes
Recipe Variations:
- Garlic Butter: Bake focaccia for 15 minutes after dimpling the dough (do not drizzle on the final tablespoon of olive oil or sprinkle with sea salt or rosemary – yet.) While the focaccia bakes, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Brush this over the partially baked focaccia, then sprinkle on the rosemary (if desired) and sea salt. Bake for 7-11 more minutes, until focaccia is golden brown on top.
- Parmesan: Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Herbs/Seasonings: You can substitute dried Italian seasoning for the fresh rosemary. Or experiment with other fresh or dried herbs that you enjoy.
- Olive: Press halved kalamata olives into the top of the focaccia before baking.
Calories: 190kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 195mg, Potassium: 46mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Bread
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