Focaccia Bread Recipe
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Learn to make focaccia, the simple Italian flatbread with its signature dimpled surface and rich olive oil flavor—it’s easier than you think!
Perfect for feeding a crowd, focaccia is a rich and flavorful Italian flat bread baked in a sheet pan. It’s made with a yeast dough that rises twice: once after it is mixed and then again after it is shaped. To give the bread its signature dimpled appearance, you use your fingers to form little indentations all over the dough. These “dimples” hold tiny pools of olive oil that soak into the bread as it bakes. The recipe calls for about one cup of oil, which I know seems like a lot, but that’s what makes focaccia so good!
Adapted from Anne Burrell, this simple focaccia recipe is topped with coarse salt and fresh rosemary, but other toppings can be added, such as thinly sliced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives, caramelized onions or Parmesan cheese, to name just a few. Enjoy the bread warm out of the oven with pasta fagioli, zuppa Toscana, bolognese, Italian wedding soup, or a big Italian salad. Leftovers make wonderful sandwiches.
“Thanks for another hit Jenn! I made this for Christmas Eve and it paired perfectly with your classic lasagna.”
What You’ll Need To Make Focaccia
- All-purpose flour: The base of the dough. Be sure to use the spoon and level method—spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife—for accuracy and best results.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast, helping the dough rise.
- Yeast: Makes the bread rise. I use instant or rapid-rise yeast (sometimes labeled “bread machine yeast”) for focaccia and other yeast breads because it rises much faster than active dry yeast. You can find it in jars or packets, and once opened, it keeps in the fridge for 3 to 6 months. If you don’t bake homemade breads often, I recommend buying the individual packets to ensure freshness.
- Kosher salt: Adds flavor to both the dough and the top of the focaccia.
- Warm water: Activates the yeast and brings the dough together.
- Extra-Virgin Olive oil: Provides richness and flavor while also creating a crispy bottom. Note that it is added in stages, so be sure to read the recipe carefully before starting so that you don’t accidentally add it all at once.
- Fresh rosemary: Adds an earthy, fragrant flavor. Feel free to experiment with other herbs like thyme or oregano for a different twist.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix well to combine.
Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture.
Then mix with the dough hook on low speed until the focaccia dough comes together into a sticky mass.
Increase the speed to medium and let the mixer knead the dough for about 5 or 6 minutes. You want it to be soft and a little sticky – it should stick to the bottom of the bowl a bit. If it seems too wet, sprinkle a little flour on top and let the mixer knead it for a minute or so to mix it in.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead quickly with your hands until it comes together into a smooth ball.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, flipping it over once so that both the top and bottom of the dough are lightly slicked with oil.
Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Remember that rising times can vary based on kitchen conditions like temperature and humidity.
Now it’s time to shape the dough and let it rise again. Pour about ¼ cup olive oil onto a sturdy rimmed baking sheet (yes, it’s a lot but that’s what gives focaccia its deliciously crispy bottom!), then place the dough on top.
Flip the dough over over so that both sides are coated with oil—this makes it much easier to stretch. Then use your hands to spread the dough out to the corners of the pan.
Now the fun part: use your fingertips to make dimples all over the dough.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again a warm spot until puffed up and doubled in size—it should take about an hour. Next, drizzle the dough with a bit more olive oil, so it collects in the dimples, and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh rosemary.
Bake the bread for about 20 minutes, until it is nicely golden brown.
Cool the bread in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer it to cutting board and slice into squares. You can gild the lily by drizzling it with a touch more olive oil, if you like. The bread will keep nicely for about 1 day or can be frozen for longer storage. Enjoy!
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This easy focaccia recipe is crispy, flavorful, and crowd-pleasing!
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for kneading
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) instant/rapid-rise yeast (see note)
- 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1¾ cup warm water
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for oiling the bowl and drizzling on top
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, from several sprigs
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Mix on low speed to combine. Add the water and ½ cup of the olive oil; mix on low speed until the dough comes together, then turn the speed up to medium-low and continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough becomes soft and slightly tacky. It should stick to the bottom of the bowl a bit. If the dough seems too wet, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of flour, and turn the mixer back on to knead it briefly to combine.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface (it helps to flour your hands, too). Knead by hand briefly until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
- Coat the inside of a large bowl with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, flipping once so that both the top and bottom are lightly slicked with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. (The warmer the spot, the faster it will rise.)
- Coat a 13" x 18" rimmed baking sheet with ¼ cup of olive oil. (It will seem like a lot, but that's what makes the bottom crispy.) Plop the dough onto the prepared pan and begin pressing it out with your hands to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over once to coat both sides with olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. Once the dough is stretched, spread your fingers out and make impressions almost all the way through the dough (don't poke holes, just press down to the bottom of the pan). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the warm, draft-free spot until the dough has puffed up and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425°F. Set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Sprinkle the top of the focaccia dough with the remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and rosemary, then lightly drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top so it pools in the indentations. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Transfer the focaccia to a cutting board and slice into squares. Drizzle a touch more oil on top before serving, if desired.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Focaccia is best eaten freshly baked but it can be made 1 day ahead of time, if necessary. For best results, wrap the focaccia in aluminum foil and place in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Reheat, wrapped in foil, in a 350°F oven until just warmed through, about 10 minutes. The focaccia can also be made ahead and frozen. To freeze, cut it into portions, wrap in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat the focaccia, remove the plastic wrap and re-wrap it in the foil. Heat it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can add it to the warm water in the recipe, let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, and then proceed with the recipe.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 squares
- Calories: 325
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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So delicious and easy to make! I have a new favorite bread 🙂 It goes especially well with Jenn’s pasta e fagioli recipe. I made both for church supper and had almost no leftovers!
Yeast and I have never been great friends, so I was a little nervous to take on this recipe. But your directions and fantastic visuals made the process so much easier. My family was surprised and delighted to see a pan of fresh warm focaccia cooling on the rack next to a big batch of ham and potato soup. Thank you!
This bread is really fantastic just like the reviews indicate. It makes a large amount and freezes beautifully. It’s just my husband and myself, so I divided in portions then just pull it out when we are having soup or want bread dipped in oils with herbs and it heats up great. We just wrap it in wax paper and nuke it slightly.
Hi Jenn!
I’m eager to try this recipe because I love focaccia so much, but unfortunately I don’t have a heavy duty mixer with a dough hook. Do you think it will work if I just use my hands? Thanks!
Hi Anna, Yes, you can definitely knead the dough by hand. Please come back and let me know how it turns out 🙂
This was excellent. I added a little more salt and rosemary and some fresh black pepper. I smoked a turkey breast and had turkey bacon avacado and baby arugala sandwiches my family loved them. Thanks.
This was the perfect recipe for my first attempt to make focaccia. So easy to follow and it came out perfectly – crispy outside, chewy inside, great rosemary flavor and the right amount of salt. My family loved it! We ate it just cooled out of the oven, and then restrained ourselves so that there would be enough for dinner with your pasta fagioli – another easy recipe with excellent flavors.
This was AMAZEBALLS!!!! So easy and simple. The hardest part was waiting for the dough to rise! Tasted awesome and made for awesome sandwich bread the next day! Every recipe I’ve tried from you has become our new favorite! Thank you for the delicious and simple recipes!
You’re welcome, Casey. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
One word…perfection. Easy peasey…came out exactly right…delicious, and great with soup….An all out winner, as usual!
Can you freeze the focaccia?
Hi Leslie, Yes, focaccia can be frozen. You can also freeze the dough (or part of the dough) after the final kneading before you let it rise. To thaw, leave it in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Note that it won’t rise as much as fresh, but it will still work well.
Hi Jenn, I’m so excited to have discovered your food blog today. I’m retired and live alone (excuse me, dear cat) so family meals didn’t grab my attention. It was the Coconut Banana Bread with Pecans … mine is still baking now and looking forward to enjoying it and sharing a thick slice with a friend.
I want to make your Rosemary Focaccia next. I’ve only made Focaccia one time with a recipe that called for one rise and a second overnight in a olive oil on a baking sheet. I really wasn’t happy with the texture of the bread probably due to small refrigerator. I like the way you use very lengthy rises and then baking. Can I use a smaller baking pan for Foccacia and use remaing dough for a small pizza and refrigerate? Also, don’t have dough hook but can I use bread machine to mix ingredients and kneed?
Hi Gina, Welcome to the site! Yes that should work. Hope you enjoy the breads, and please come back and let me know how they turn out 🙂
My first time making Foccacia today and this recipe turned out perfect. Very helpful following the recipe with pictures. I made the fettuccini Bolonese last night and it was wonderful. I’m hooked on your site. Thank you so much.
So glad, Donna! Thanks for being the first to review 🙂