This Focaccia Bread recipe has the most crisp chewy crust, airy soft center, and amazing garlic rosemary topping. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to make homemade Focaccia (and you don’t have to wait overnight).
We love homemade bread recipes like 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.
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Focaccia Bread Video Tutorial
There’s nothing like freshly baked Focaccia bread. This one was inspired by our favorite Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich on Focaccia. See how simple it is to make this easy focaccia recipe. Natasha shares her techniques for getting those traditional focaccia dimples. It’s easier than you think!
What is Focaccia?
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 is considered a flatbread, and the texture is similar to pizza dough. It’s baked with a generous amount of olive oil in the pan which creates a crisp edge and the topping variations are endless.
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 or the bread could end up dense or tough.
- 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 – we use fine sea salt for the dough and sauce then sprinkle kosher salt over the top before baking.
- Water – use filtered warm water (105˚-115˚F)
Classic Topping Ingredients
- 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.
Topping Variations
We love to make this recipe using different flavors to match the meal. This rosemary-garlic focaccia bread is a crowd-pleasing favorite, but here are some other combinations you will love:
- Pizza Focaccia – add mozzarella cheese, mini pepperoni, and Italian seasoning. Dip in marinara.
- Classic Olive Focaccia – Olives with thyme or rosemary
- Herbs – rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or sage
- Veggies – add caramelized onions, spinach leaves, sundried tomatoes, or roasted chopped veggies like eggplant, red onions, and bell pepper, just be sure it’s not too watery.
- Cheese – feta cheese crumbles or parmesan cheese
- Sweet focaccia – try sliced strawberries with basil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Focaccia bread is so simple to make at home in just a few steps and minimal rise time. Watch our video tutorial and see the photos below to see our easy process.
- Proof Yeast – Combine water, honey, and yeast and let sit for 7-10 minutes until foamy. This ensures the 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 dough dimples.
- Develop Gluten – After the 30-minute rest and the dough looks puffed, perform 4 stretches and folds, allowing the dough to rest covered for 30 minutes between each set. Turn the bowl between each stretch and fold and pull the dough gently without tearing it. 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 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.
Why Didn’t My Focaccia Bread Rise?
There could be a few reasons – use a thermometer to ensure your water temperature is 105-115˚F so you don’t kill your yeast. Check that your yeast isn’t expired – if it doesn’t form a foamy later in the first step, discard it, and start over with fresh yeast. Also, measure flour correctly as too much flour can result in a dense dough.
What Type of Pan is Best for Focaccia Bread?
I like the way a 9×13″ metal cake pan makes the bread crisp and thick enough for dipping and also for slicing for sandwiches, but you can use a jelly roll pan if you want the bread thinner or for making focaccia pizza. For skillet focaccia bread, cut the recipe in half and try using a 9-10″ cast iron skillet or a cake pan. For a thicker bread, use a loaf pan.
How to Serve Focaccia
Homemade focaccia bread looks and tastes great at any meal. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this classic Italian bread.
- 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.
- 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.
Make-Ahead
Store focaccia bread loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for 2 days.
- To Refrigerate: This can quickly dry out the bread, so it’s not my favorite way to store focaccia.
- Freezing: When the bread has cooled to room temperature, wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze it 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.
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!
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
Focaccia Bread Recipe
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 salt
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for the dough
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , for the 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 1 packet of yeast and proof for 7-10 minutes or until the surface is foamy.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 3/4 cups 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, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi Natasha
can I skip the rosemary for the topping?
I would recommend not skipping it if you can as it’s really good with it.
I am not a baker but the first attempt at this was sooooooo good.
I didn’t have fresh Rosemary so used dried in the topping, worked a treat
Hi Chris, good to know that you liked it! Thanks for sharing that with us.
wowwwww it looks yummy
So good, I hope you can try this soon!
Hi Natasha,
Will this work with a glass baking dish?
Btw, I love making your recipes and they are always a hit. My sons favorite is the chicken piccata, and both my husband and my son, love the dinner rolls. Thank you for sharing your talent with us 🙂
Hi, I haven’t tried this in a glass dish but I think that should work, but I would line so it doesn’t stick to the dish.
I made this today in a glass dish and it only stuck in one small area and it wasn’t bad enough to ruin the bottom of the bread (which turned out excellent BTW)I followed the recipe and put 1/4 c of olive oil in the bottom of the dish.
I’m glad you liked the result, Dorothy!
The ads on these recipes are getting ridiculous. Can hardly scroll down, always and ad in the way.
Hi Irina, thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes.
I appreciate your feedback and I hope you love every recipe you try.
While aggravating it is the price we pay for “free” blogs. It is just like watching “free” tv or “free” radio. These services are not free to produce.
Hi Natasha,
I tried making the bread and my dough is runny I cannoy make dimples as it is so runny, what am I doing wrong? I followed the recipe as I printed it out and watched the video but something is still wrong.
Hi Engela, make sure you are using the same type of flour and also be sure to measure ingredients correctly. It sounds like proportions might be off.
i loved the itroduction it made me laugh lol
I’m so glad you enjoyed that. It was a blunder that we decided to keep in. 🙂 Thank you for the thoughtful feedback.
waiting for your orange bundt cake and also i tried your cranberry one and it was delicious but i want the the orange version
Hi Jana, I haven’t done an orange version of it yet but I think it’s worth experimenting with. If you give that a try, please share with us how it goes!
I just made it and it disappeared in minutes thank you for the great recipe
You’re welcome! Isn’t it so good?! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
This was the best bread I have ever had! I added fresh basil to our olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper mixture. We can’t wait to make it again!
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for giving the recipe a great feedback
tried it and it is so crispy and soft and it tasted like a pizza
Hi Malak, thanks for sharing! I hope you loved it.
I made this focaccia yesterday and was absolutely delicious! Big hit!
Next time I will kick it up a notch by adding sliced cherry tomatoes with the garlic and rosemary topping – yum!
Thanks Natasha – great recipes as always!!
Awesome and sounds like a great plan, Anna. Thanks for your wonderful review, I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try!
Natatasha darling I’m a hard core fan of yours. All your recipes are fool proof. I tried this bread and it came out great. It’s going to be an all time favourite. Our doctor has told us not to have all purpose flour and have whole wheat flour due to some medical issues. So can it be made with whole wheat flour? ❤️
Hi Jas, thanks for your support and for your great comments and feedback. I honestly haven’t tried that to advise, but I think it’s worth experimenting with. If you try that, please share with us how it goes!
hi natahsa i want to try your recipe but i want to make for 6 oesple and when i saw how to make for 6 pieces but i didn;t understand it so can you say it for me
Hi Hana, if you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!
hi natahsa i didn’t undersatnd 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour like 3 cupsplus 1/4 cup
Hi Jane, my article on How to Measure Ingredients could be useful.
The gluten stretch did not work for me … dough did not stretch for the folds at all like in your video . The bread itself was crunchy and tasty but didn’t rise a whole bunch nor with the big puffy holes. I’ll try a again, but wonder what went wrong with that 3 x 4 fold step process. In the meantime I have cut the leftover bread into 1” cubes and will freeze to make croutons .
Hi Val, it sounds like maybe you need to check if your yeast is active. Did it foam in the initial step? Also, be sure not to have the liquids too hot or proof in an environment that is too hot which can deactivate your yeast.
Thanks for your note. Yes yeast was active and foamed beautifully. I did your wet cloth in microwave tip for the first rise … maybe that was too hot! I’m definitely trying this recipe again! On another note your pierogie recipe turned out perfectly!
I started following you with your incredible Borstch and Minnestrone. The focaccia looks incredible. Usually I follow Ina Garten, Food Network, Ree, Bobbi, Food and Wine, Alton Brown and now YOU!
Thank you for following my recipes! I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try, Maureen.
I’m very anxious to try this today. Can I use bread flour or 00 flour instead of all purpose?
Hi Diane, I haven’t tested that but here is what one of our readers wrote: “!!! The best focaccia I’ve ever had! Thank you sharing this very thorough video and recipe. I used a high gluten bread flour and it came out perfectly! So long sourdough…this is my new fav!” I hope that helps.
Thank you for all your videos and recipes. I have tried so many of your recipes. My favourite part of videos is your excitement when it comes to the taste test. Great personality.
You’re welcome! Thank you too for your great comments and feedback, Mavis.
I have enjoyed all the recipes I have tried from your website, but this bread is amazing! The recipe is definitely a ‘keeper’! We enjoyed it tonight with a hearty soup.
I’m happy to hear that, Lucinda. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
I made this bread today and it is absolutely fabulous. This will be my go-to for focaccia bread!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe, Linda.
Hi Linda, I can’t seem to print this recipe. Please tell me how you did it. Thank You!
Hi Debra, The print-friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file —> print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.
Hi Natasha. Another great recipe! I was able to make this and clean the house at the same time. A double win❤️
Double wins are the best! Thank you for sharing that with me, Donna!