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
Big hit with the family, especially my grandson! I was surprised how easy it was to make. Thanks Natasha! Love your recipes and videos! Keep ‘em coming!
That is the best when kids & the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
I’ve tried focaccia in the past and it was an epic fail. But not with this recipe! It was so delicious. Thank you for the great instructions. This recipe is a keeper!
Love it! Thanks for the great review, Annette.
Natasha,loved this easy recipe.My bread came out perfect and delicious.Thank you for all the great recipes you post.It’s a big 5star from me.
You’re welcome, Divina. Thank you for your fantastic feedback!
I have made this recipe several times and have had requests to make it for other people as well. I love doing the stretch and fold. For the first one, I leave the dough in the bowl like you do bot for the next three, I lift the dough from the bowl (with fingers moistened) and do the stretching in mid-air. I can get the dough looking like a pork loin! So much fun but my wife just smile at me when I do this. Also, after the last stretch, I add the olive oil to the mixing bowl and do the turning in there. I put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of my baking pan and spray the sides with cooking oil. Then I dump my dough into the pan and stretch it to the corners before the final proofing. The paper under the dough makes getting the baked bread out of the pan a simple process.
Thanks for your detailed review and for sharing your experience with us! I’m glad you liked the end result of the recipe.
Excellent recipe. My question, where did you get your flour canister? Thanks
Hi Michelle, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
OMG! It’s only been three days since I made this & ate the entire thing! I can’t stop thinking about how good it was & am trying to resist making it again!! The recipe is super easy to make & absolutely delicious!!
Hello Lori, that’s great feedback! Nice to know that you loved this recipe and you found a new favorite. Thank you for the excellent review!
Everything was going well until the stretch and fold process. It doesn’t look moist and doesn’t look more puffed between each fold. I used the microwave tip between each stretch and fold without realizing that maybe it’s deactivating the yeast based on what I read in your comment section…. :/ I’m so sad I’ve spent a few hours making this 🙁 Will have to see how it turns out. Also is it bake at 450F or 400F? Your video said both and I’m confused.
Hi Ashley, we bake it at 450˚F for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.
I was wondering the same regarding the microwave trick in between each fold. Did you receive an answer to this question?
I made the focaccia and refrigerated it overnight. Took it out in the morning and baked it. It was fantastic! I decorated it with rosemary shaped like a Christmas tree and added grape tomatoes.
It sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing that with us, Ami.
Hi Natasha. It is an amazing recipe. For the focaccia, Can I use fresh yeast?
Hi Maria, that should work fine. If you try this recipe, please share with us how it goes.
I only gave it 4 stars because I want to see how mine turns out. I have a party tomorrow mid-morning and I didn’t want to be rushed so I prepared my dough and put it in the fridge. I’ll take it out in the morning with plenty of time to bake it. Will let you know how it comes out. My kitchen smells incredible prepping the dough!!
I hope you love this recipe, Ami!
How can you give something 4 stars when you haven’t even baked it yet??? That’s not even fair. Hope you can bake it and give it a true rating.
This is Easily the best bread I have ever made and will be my go to bread recipe. I also added olives and sun dried tomatoes. I have made it three times already. It is the bread I had as a child and never knew what it was. I also eat it for breakfast with some strawberry jam. Fantastic!
Aae, I’m glad you found your new go-to recipe. That is a delicious combo and always an all-time favorite!
Hi, I have done a few of your recipes successfully. Your best pizza is a regular on our table every other week. I am thinking of using this focaccia recipe for a cold tomato pizza.
Can I use a Corningware dish to bake
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Claudine!
Amazing as always while following your recipe!
Dear Natasha, is there a way of making this gluten free? Would it be just as easy as changing to rice flower? Would you make any changes in the process/ other ingredients then?
Kind regards
Hi Kristina, I haven’t tried this as a gluten-free version so I can’t speak to that. I wish I could be more helpful with that question.
I love everything you make!!!!!!
What are the steps if using a stand up mixer?
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried that for this recipe, but this one is done pretty quickly, so it worked by hand really well.
Good Morning,
I am suffering from what you said was “over proofing” my dough
How do I fix this 😩
Hi Kenya, if it’s over-proofed it’s hard to say if it will recover, but you can try rescuing the over-proofed dough, by pressing down on the dough to remove the gas, then reshape and reproof.
I have been looking for the perfect bread recipe for years and hands down, after I made this I flared my hands in success exclaiming, “I did it! I did it!” This bread is delicious!!!! Thank you!!!
Yay, thanks for the wonderful review. I’m happy that you finally found your new favorite bread recipe!
Love all your videos, huge fan! I made this yesterday and my bread got stuck in the pan.. any ideas why?? The only thing I did different is use bread flour instead of all purpose. Could it be the pan? What kind of pan do you use? Thanks 🙂
Hi Abby, it is critical to use a non-stick pan and make sure to use the correct amount of oil which definitely helps to prevent sticking. Lastly, make sure the oven is fully preheated before putting the bread into the oven.
Just made this ooooh….😄
soo delicciouus thank youu!!
but mine was a bit more stodgy and not as bubbly or airy as yours….. i think thats because i didnt wait long enough for the yeast, am i right?
Hi Jena, that is probably the case if the rising times were cut short. I’m so glad you enjoyed it anyways.
I’m wondering which digital thermometer you are using. I have an instant read analog thermometer for meat but would like one like yours. Thanks and love all your recipes.
Hi Peg, we love our Thermapen! You can find it HERE. It’s on sale right now 😉
I. LOVE. IT! I’ve tried already many of your recipes, but never made bread. I tried this one, and put black olives in the finger holes, before baking it. I didn’t have a fitting baking pan, so I just rolled it out with a rolling pin on an oven tray with some baking paper underneath. Worked out perfectly well. Next time I’m going to try your French wreath bread.
I’m so glad it worked out perfectly, Jan! That’s so great!
Ok this is my second review, but I had to add how addictive this bread is AND how forgiving it’s been with a toddler helping turn the spread out the dough. We make this at least weekly. We even made 2 today, one exactly as written and the other with a sweet topping (half tablespoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar with the same 2:2 oil and water mix): both amazing and didn’t taint each other cooking at same time in my oven. Thx so much again for sharing this recipe!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you and your family love this recipe, thanks for sharing that with us!