Homemade Focaccia Bread is easier than you think, with no overnight rise required. This recipe makes classic focaccia with golden dimples, a crisp, chewy crust, and an airy, soft center. I love it with garlic and rosemary, but once you learn the simple method, you can try all kinds of toppings. P.S. You don’t have to wait overnight.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Excellent and very easy recipe! So delicious and crisp crust and soft, fluffy insides! Made again today! Thank you for the perfect instructions.” – Sarah ★★★★★
Focaccia Bread Video
There’s nothing like freshly baked Focaccia bread coming out of the oven, and I can hardly wait for it to cool enough to enjoy a big hunk of it dipped in olive oil. This recipe was inspired by my favorite Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich on Focaccia.
Focaccia Bread
Focaccia (pronounced fuh-kaa-chuh) is a classic Italian bread. The name focaccia is derived from the Roman “panis focacius,” which means “hearth bread,” indicating that it was originally baked in coals back in Roman times. It’s considered a flatbread, with a texture similar to pizza dough. It’s baked with a generous amount of olive oil in the pan, which creates a crisp edge.
I love homemade bread recipes like Sourdough Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls, Biscuits, and Banana Bread, because there’s nothing like the aroma of freshly baked bread, and Focaccia is about to become your new favorite.
Italian Focaccia Bread Ingredients
The key to making great Italian focaccia bread is using a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil which creates a crispy and flavorful crust.
- Flour– use all-purpose flour or bread flour for focaccia. Be sure to measure flour correctly.
- Yeast – get one packet (7 grams) of instant yeast. The label should say “quick-rise” or “rapid rise.” The right yeast is key to making this bread in about 4 hours from start to finish.
- Honey – helps activate the yeast and balances flavor
- Salt – I use fine sea salt for the dough and sprinkle kosher salt over the top
- Water – use filtered warm water (105˚-115˚F)
Classic Focaccia Topping
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil works best here for flavor. This makes the crust so crisp
- Water – helps to thin the topping so it is easy to coat the dough
- Garlic, rosemary, sea salt – add unbelievable flavor – see more variation ideas below. We also sprinkle the top of the dough with kosher salt.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Focaccia bread is so simple to make at home in just a few steps and minimal rise time. Watch my video tutorial to see my easy process.
- Proof Yeast – Combine water, honey, and yeast and let sit for 7-10 minutes until foamy to ensure yeast is active.
- Make the Dough – Combine flour and salt, then mix in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until a moist mass of dough forms without streaks of flour. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and mix it in with your hands. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Make the Topping – While the dough is proofing, combine the topping ingredients in a dish so the oil gets infused with wonderful garlic and rosemary flavor, which soaks into the dimples.
- Develop Gluten – After the 30-minute rest, the dough should look puffed. Dip your hands in water to prevent sticking. Gently pull one side of the dough up without tearing it, then fold it over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then repeat the stretch-and-fold process 3 more times, for a total of 4 sets. See the video tutorial for a demonstration.
Pro Tip:
When handling moist dough, dip your hands in water to keep the dough from sticking.
Shaping Italian Focaccia Bread
- Mold to the Pan – after the fourth stretch and fold, immediately transfer it to a 9×13 non-stick pan coated with 1/4 cup olive oil. Turn the dough and gently stretch to the edges. If it is difficult to stretch, rest for 15 minutes and try again, then cover and rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Dimples – dip fingers in water and poke fingertips into dough going straight down in a quick motion like playing the piano. Go over the dough 2-3 times to create plenty of dimples.
- Add Toppings and Bake – Re-whisk topping then drizzle it evenly over the top of the dough. Bake at 450˚F for 22-25 minutes until golden brown. I aim for 25 minutes for a crisp crust. Immediately transfer the bread to a wire rack and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
What Should Focaccia Dough Look Like?
Focaccia dough should be soft, sticky, and wetter than regular bread dough. Avoid adding extra flour, which can make it dense. After the stretch-and-folds, the dough will become smoother and easier to handle. If it sticks, lightly wet your hands.
Why Didn’t My Focaccia Bread Rise?
Check that your water is 105-115˚F and your yeast is fresh. If the yeast doesn’t foam in the first step, start over with fresh yeast. Too much flour can also make focaccia dense, so measure flour correctly.
What Type of Pan is Best for Focaccia Bread?
A non-stick 9×13″ metal cake pan works best for crisp edges and a thick, sandwich-friendly focaccia. For thinner focaccia or focaccia pizza, use a jelly roll pan. For skillet focaccia, halve the recipe and bake it in a 9-10″ cast iron skillet or cake pan.
How to Serve Focaccia
Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy this classic Italian Focaccia:
- Side Dish – serve focaccia like you would dinner rolls. We love to pair it with Zuppa Toscana or Italian Wedding Soup.
- Sandwich Bread – It makes the best-ever BLT Sandwich, and Chicken Club Sandwiches, or Italian Sandwiches
- With a Dipping Sauce – you’ll love this restaurant-style bread dip: In a small dish, combine equal parts extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a sprinkle of black pepper.
I hope you’re inspired to make homemade Focaccia bread. It will make you feel like a pro baker and it’s so simple with very little active time. P.S. What is your favorite topping for focaccia? Tell us in the comments!
Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, 105-115 F
- 1 tsp honey
- 7 g instant yeast/ rapid rise yeast, 1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour, measured correctly
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil , divided (for the dough and pan)
For the Topping:
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped from 2 sprigs
- 1 tsp kosher salt or flaky salt, to sprinkle the top
Instructions
- Proof the yeast: Pour warm water into a measuring cup and stir in 1 tsp honey. Stir in yeast and proof for 7-10 minutes or until the surface is foamy.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Pour in your yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and a sticky dough mass forms. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and use your hands to work the oil into the dough until fully absorbed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, until visibly puffed.
- Make the Topping: In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp water, minced garlic, rosemary, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk vigorously until well combined and set aside
- Develop Gluten: Once dough is rested, use the stretch and fold method to develop gluten strands (see video for a demonstration). Dip your hands in water to prevent sticking and do four stretches and folds: Pull up one corner of the dough gently without tearing the dough then fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl and continue this process 3 more items. Cover with plastic wrap and rest 30 minutes at room temp. Perform 3 more stretches and folds, letting it rest covered for 30 minutes each time. Right after the last stretch and fold, transfer to an oiled baking pan.
- Mold to the Pan: Pour 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil into a NON-STICK 9×13 baking pan to coat the bottom. Transfer the dough to the oiled pan and turn to coat in oil. Gently stretch the dough to the edges. If it has difficulty stretching, cover and let it rest 15 minutes before working dough to the edges. Cover and proof 45-60 minutes until well risen and puffy.
- Create Dimples: Dip hands into cold water and use your fingertips to poke into the focaccia, going almost through the dough. It should be a quick motion, like pushing keys on a piano. Go over the dough a couple of times to get a generous amount of dimples. Release any big air bubbles trapped under the dough by gently lifting the dough at the edge.
- Add Toppings and Bake: Re-whisk the topping if it has separated then drizzle evenly over the top. Sprinkle kosher salt or flaky sea salt over the top of the bread and bake at 450˚F for 22-25 minutes until golden brown (we prefer 25 minutes for a crisp edge). Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool so the base doesn’t steam soften and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into squares to serve or slice lengthwise for sandwiches.
Notes
- Room Temperature: Do not refrigerate bread, as it can dry it out. Once it’s cooled, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled, wrap focaccia in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for 2 months. Freeze the bread the same day it’s made, and it will taste fresh when thawed.
- To Reheat: Thaw at room temperature or speed thaw in the microwave at 15-second intervals until no longer frozen. To reheat, bake in the oven at 350˚F for 8 minutes or air fry at 350˚F for 3-4 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Bread Recipes
If you love this Focaccia bread, then you won’t want to miss these bread recipes.
- Crusty French Bread
- Dutch Oven Bread
- No-Knead Bread Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Sourdough Bread
- Homemade English Muffins
- Sourdough Dinner Rolls
My dough was super shaggy aftwr mixing with a wooden spoon to incorporate this is my sick d time asking foccacia, forst one was too thin different recipe. I added the olive oil, but doght still didn’t look right wasn’t soft and pliable is this normal?
Hi Mary, do you think possibly there was too much flour added? Make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and level off the top for an accurate measurement otherwise you can get up to 25% too much flour. Also, allow the dough to rest if you are having a difficult time stretching it out. Sometimes all it needs is some time for the gluten strands to relax.
Hello. I made this using Gluten Free flour. The taste was good but it wasn’t cooked properly. Any clues?
Hi Naima, without testing the gluten free flour in this recipe, I really can’t speak to that.
I used sourdough starter instead of yeast, but I needed to let it rise for 3-4 hours. I flavored it with rosemary, garlic, and sea salt.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I hope you love it.
All the focaccia recipes I’ve tried so far ended up in breads that were flat and hard as a brick, despite me following the recipes precisely 😅 Except for this one! Crunchy outside, fluffy inside, relatively quick to make. Thank you!
This bread is amazing! It does need a lot of time to risw, but i find it very easy since there’s so little aktive work involved. I made it so many times already that I know the recipe by heart. I also make a dip for it – from olive oil, salt, lemon juice and pressed garlic. It’s always a hit! Dyakuju!
Great to hear that this recipe is always a hit! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us.
I’ve been seeing a similar recipe pop up and wanted to try it but I thought…lets see how Natasha does it! Love this! As always, great instructions and great recipe!
Thanks a lot, Jenny! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
OMG sooo good ! My bread turned out perfect – crispy on the outside; light, airy & so soft on the inside. I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you for the video(s) – they are so helpful. p.s There hasn’t been a recipe that has failed me. Keep up the great work !!
Made this recipe three times in two days, first one for trial and the others for a party I was hosting. Came out great, crowd pleaser, served this with hummus. One attempt did not come out as good because I put oven on fan bake, which made the crust very hard.
I have made this many times and it always turns out magnifico! Thank you.
You’re very welcome, Chris!
This is a great recipe! It is so easy to make and my family loved it so much that it was gone in 15 minutes. While preparing this recipe, I was also watching the video at the same time and noticed that at the baking portion of the video you stated to bake at 450 degrees but I happened to look at the screen and it said 400 degrees. It just took a little longer to bake but still came out perfect.
Oh yay that’s awesome! I’m glad that it turned out perfect!
Hi. Love this recipe but can you post the flour weight in the recipe? It’s only in the video. I have found there is way less flour than 3 3/4 cups when the flour is weighed. It turns out better when i use 470 grams.
Hi Sheryl! The recipe card has metric button. Click on that and it converts the ingredients list for you.
This is a great recipe! It is easy to make and my family loved it so much that it was gone in less than 15 minutes. The only thing that I noticed is that when I was making it, I was watching the video at the same time and in the baking portion of the video you said to bake at 450 degrees but I looked at the screen and it said 400 degrees. It just took a little longer to bake. 😊
I’m glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
Hi, I love so many of your recipes! Is it possible to make this a day ahead? I want to make it for a luncheon.
Hi Rose! I’m glad you love it. Yes, you can make this ahead. See the “make-ahead” section above for my recommendations on storing.
This recipe is out of this world. Thank you so much. I do have a question though. Since my focaccia stuck a bit to the pan, Can I cover the bottom and the sides of the pan with parchment paper before pouring the 1/4 cup olive oil. Or put in more olive oil in the pan?
Hi Farrah! That would be fine.
Can I use almond flour or anything but reg flour as I’m on a keto diet and this looks so delicious as do all of your recipes , thanks in advance
Hi Hal! I’ve never tested that to advise. I’m sorry.
One of the better focaccia recipes I’ve tried. Made it three times and always thick, soft and delicious. Only one I’ll make in the future. Love many other recipes you post. Keep up the great recipes.
Yes, thank you! this is just the kind of foccacia recipe that I was looking for, thank you so so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
You’re very welcome, Jess! I’m so happy you enjoyed this bread recipe!
My first time making this and it turned out so delicious! Thanks for this easy recipe!
You’re very welcome, Ina! I’m so glad you loved it.
This was my first time so I was nervous but it came out amazing! I am so impressed. Easy too!
That’s wonderful to hear, Sara!
This came out perfect! Delicious! It does take a little time, but it’s well worth the wait.
Hi! I am wanting to make this recipe, but is there a way I can speed up the rising time
Hi Ashley, I bet you can speed it up. You can ensure to place the dough in a warm environment like near a preheated oven or on top of a warm appliance. Just be sure it’s not too hot or it will overproof and fail. You can also increase the amount of yeast used, but know this may impact the overall flavor of the focaccia in a negative way. You can also try boosting the sugar to help the yeast, but that will also impact the flavor. If your oven has a proof setting, I recommend using that to speed up the process, just watch it closely. I hope this helps.