Learn how to make best focaccia bread! Topped with flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary, it’s golden and airy with a crispy bottom. Easy, vegan, with a video.
Making focaccia bread is easily one of the most enjoyable things ever to bake! It’s perfect for beginning bakers and is very satisfying to make because it’s hard to screw up!
My friend Jill has been making my friend Ali’s focaccia bread recipe for years now, and I figured, why mess with perfection?
It’s easily the best and simplest focaccia recipe we’ve ever tried, and it always turns out perfect every single time. We adore her Pizza Night Cookbook!
What makes this the Best Focaccia Recipe
This recipe requires 10 minutes of hands-on time and no kneading! It’s made with simple ingredients, with variations on how to fancy it up, but the best part? It’s adaptable to your schedule!
Whip this out in 3 hours or let it get extra flavorful with a long, slow, cold rise in the fridge- our favorite way to make it! Either way, you’ll love it.
It has a higher hydration than most, giving it light, airy bubbles and the best texture ever!
What is Focaccia?
Focaccia hails from Italy—more specifically Genoa—where it is sometimes called classica or pizza Genovese. This Italian flatbread is made with yeast and a high-gluten flour and baked in sheet pans. With a simple recipe of flour, water, and salt, focaccia is soft and fluffy with thin, tender crust.
The secret to focaccia is coating it in olive oil and using your fingertips to create dimples, allowing the fragrant oil to pool into the indents.
Focaccia is typically topped with coarse salt, but you can also add herbs, vegetables, or cheese before baking.
Homemade Focaccia Ingredients
- Flour: Either all-purpose bread flour or bread flour will work when making focaccia bread. Bread flour has a higher protein content that will result in a chewier texture. You can also blend these flours.
- Fine salt: Salt acts as a yeast inhibitor, and it strengthens the gluten structure, resulting in an airier loaf of bread.
- Instant rise yeast: For quickest rising, we use instant rise yeast, but the amount depends on how long you plan to let is rise (see notes). You can sub active dry yeast, but rising time will double and you’ll need to let it sit with warm water first (see notes).
- Extra virgin olive oil: You’ll need olive oil throughout the process. It is key to giving focaccia its rich flavor.
- Flaky sea salt: To give the crust crunchy texture and deliciously salty flavor.
- Fresh rosemary: Really elevates the flavor of the bread, giving the crust a comforting, earthy aroma and taste.
How to make Focaccia Bread
Step one: Whisk flour, fine salt, and yeast together in a medium bowl.
Step two: Pour lukewarm water into the flour yeast mixture and use a fork or spatula to stir until all flour is incorporated, resulting in a loose ball of focaccia dough. No need for a stand mixer here!
Step three: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then drizzle the top and sides of the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spreading it out evenly.
Step four: Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours. It should double in size. Or you can place the bowl in the fridge and let rise for 24-72 hours—this results in the best flavor and airy texture!
Step five: Gather a 9×13-inch baking dish, 10×14-inch Detroit-style sheet pan (for thicker focaccia), or 12×18-inch baking sheet. Line with parchment paper if desired. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom and sides of the pan.
Step six: With oiled hands, loosen the edges of the dough from the bowl and do a set of “stretch and folds”. Pull the dough at the edge of the bowl, up and over and across itself, then turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 6 times until forming a ball.
Step seven: Transfer the dough ball into the oiled pan. Here I am using a 10×14-inch Detroit-style pizza pan. Feel free to use a 9×13-inch baking dish or a 14×18-inch sheet pan. Stretch it out over the sheet pan and let it rise until it is puffed, about 2-4 hours at room temperature for best results (but you can get away with 30 minutes!).
Step eight: Preheat oven to 425F (or 400F convection).
Step nine: Now it’s time to have fun! Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the dough. Use oiled fingers to press holes into the dough, creating deep indents while gently nudging the dough toward the edges. If the dough resists, let it rest 5 minutes and try again. Scatter flaky sea salt and rosemary over top.
Step ten: Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden brown. The bottom should be crisp and golden. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with our Rosemary Garlic Dipping Oil! See notes.
Homemade Focaccia Bread Variations
When it comes to focaccia bread toppings, there are endless possibilities! It is truly a blank canvas for your favorite flavor enhancers. Our only rule is to avoid overly wet ingredients, like large, juicy tomatoes or any large vegetables that release a lot of moisture when baked, such as raw mushrooms. Here are some topping ideas for you to try!
Focaccia Toppings
- Herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage, basil
- Aromatics: garlic, caramelized onions, thinly sliced raw onion, sliced leeks
- Vegetables: cherry tomatoes, fried eggplant, zucchini, thinly sliced potatoes, sautéed mushrooms
- Cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, burrata, gorgonzola, feta cheese, fontina, pecorino
- Fruit: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, lemon slices, pears, orange zest, fig, grapes, peaches
- Meat: pancetta, prosciutto
- Nuts: walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts
- Seeds: fennel seeds, cumin seeds
- Other flavor enhancers: mixed olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, marinated artichokes, honey, anchovies
Best Focaccia Bread Recipe Tips
- For the best focaccia bread, plan ahead! A long, slow rise in the fridge (24-72 hours) will produce the best airy texture and a more complex flavor. Allow 2-4 hours for the second rise.
- Get creative with your toppings! Discover your favorite flavor pairings by trying a combo of a woody herb, cheese, and vegetable—or fruit, cheese, and honey!
- Enjoy your focaccia right away. While we know you won’t eat the entire loaf right away, the flavor is best straight from the oven, and you ought to enjoy a slice or two of your hard work when it’s at its flavor peak!
- When eating leftover focaccia, slice off what you plan to eat, keeping the rest wrapped up. This will help preserve moisture as long as possible. Heating up the entire loaf will dry it out.
How to use Homemade Focaccia
- Sandwich bread: Use as sandwich bread! For thinner sandwich bread, bake in a 12×18-inch sheet pan.
- Serve on the side: Focaccia is ideal for sopping up pasta sauce. Serve with your favorite saucy dishes!
- Serve for breakfast: Serve with an egg for a savory breakfast, or bake your focaccia with fruit, cheese, and honey and slice it up for a quick breakfast.
- Enjoy on its own! Focaccia, especially when made with flavorful toppings, is delicious all on its own. Or serve it with our Rosemary Garlic Dipping Oil (see notes).
What to Eat with Focaccia
As we mentioned, focaccia is ideal for enjoying with saucy recipes like pastas, soups, or roasts. Here are some of our favorite dishes to eat with focaccia.
- Pasta Fagioli
- Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Mushroom Risotto
- Italian Baked Beans and Greens
- Zucchini Roll-Ups
- Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Rosemary Garlic Beef Roast
How to store Focaccia
You can simply leave your focaccia out at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container. It will keep 2-3 days. If you use perishable toppings like cheese or meat, then refrigerate your focaccia.
To freeze focaccia, cut into squares and wrap tightly. Do this right after removing from the oven to help retain moisture. Focaccia keeps in the freezer for up to a month.
Focaccia FAQs
It is similar to pizza dough, but unlike pizza dough, it is left to rise after being rolled out. Focaccia dough is also well-oiled during prep, giving it distinctly rich flavor. You’ll know focaccia by its “dimples” where oil pools and creates deeply flavorful, golden brown pockets as it bakes.
Enjoy it on its own with a dipping oil, sliced into sandwich bread, warmed for breakfast, or as a side with saucy main dishes.
In Genoa, it is common to enjoy focaccia throughout the day, dipping it in milk or a cappuccino.
Focaccia is best served warm. Reheat leftover focaccia in the toaster oven.
Once you make focaccia and realize how easy it is, you’ll want to make this simple Focaccia Bread Recipe all the time! Let us know what creations you come up with in the comments!
More Bread Recipes You Might Like!
Watch how to make Focaccia
Homemade Focaccia
- Prep Time: 15
- rising time: 120
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Bread, bread recipes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Hands down, this is the best focaccia bread recipe we’ve ever made! Topped with flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary, it’s golden and airy with a crispy bottom. Easy to make. Vegan.
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour (510 grams) -either all-purpose flour or bread flour. (Bread flour has a higher protein content that will result in a chewier texture. You can also blend these flours.)
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1–2 teaspoons instant rise yeast (see notes)
- 2 cups lukewarm water (450 grams)
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1–2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, fine salt and yeast.
- Pour in the lukewarm water and stir with a fork, or spatula, until all the flour is incorporated. You should have a loose ball of focaccia dough.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to tidy, and drizzle the top and sides of the focaccia dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil, spreading it under and over the top of the dough.
- Cover the bowl, and let this rise for 1 ½ -2 hours on the counter (until doubled), or for 24-72 hours in the refrigerator (for the best flavor and airy texture).
- Pour 2-3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom and sides of a 10×14-inch Detroit-style metal pan (used in my photos). Or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish (*see notes for using glass and ceramic).
- With an oiled hand loosen the edges of the dough from the bowl, and do a set of “stretch and folds”; use your fingers to pull the dough at the edge of the bowl, up and over and across itself, then turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat this 6 times, until you have a ball.
- Pour the focaccia dough ball into the generously oiled pan. (I used a 10×14-inch pan) Let the dough rise uncovered and stretch out over the pan until doubled, roughly 45 minutes. Or allow 2-4 hours at room temperature for the best airy texture and flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 425F (or 400F convection)
- Now for the fun part: dimples! Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the dough, and with oiled fingers, poke holes straight down into the dough, creating deep dimples, gently nudging the dough towards the edges. If the dough resists, let it rest for 5 minutes, and resume. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and rosemary.
- Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until puffed, golden brown, and the bottom is crisp and golden. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Yeast: For the quickest rising time, use 2 teaspoons of instant yeast. If placing the dough in the fridge to rise for more than 24 hours, use 1 teaspoon of instant yeast. Instant yeast is the best yeast to use for long cold rises in the fridge. Note: “rapid rise” yeast is not the same as instant yeast.
If using active dry yeast, the rising time on the counter will double. Mix the yeast with the warm water first, let stand 5 minutes, until active and bubbly, add the salt and flour and combine.
Baking Dish: If using ceramic, glass, or a Pyrex baking dish, use some butter to prevent sticking (or half butter and half oil). You can even bake these in two glass pie plates. I used a 10×14-inch Detroit-style pizza pan in the photos.
Additional toppings: garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, olives, anchovies, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, pecorino cheese, and woody herbs.
Rosemary Garlic Dipping Oil- heat ½ cup olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 smashed garlic cloves, heating until the garlic is fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary and t tablespoon lemon zest and heat until rosemary just becomes crisp. Turn the heat off and let cool. Add Aleppo chili flakes if you like, remove garlic, serve in bowl on the side for dipping.
The internal temp of the finished focaccia should be at least 190F.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12th of the loaf
- Calories: 204
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 520.3 mg
- Fat: 6.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.1 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I am very excited to be trying this recipe right now! I wanted to ask if you had a preference when it comes to baking or convection? Is one better than the other?
Hi Kristen! I prefer convection- but you may need to lower the temp just a bit.
Excellent results, and easy to follow. I added a tsp each garlic, onion powders and white pepper to the flour and added a handful of shredded Parmesan to the top. The loaf disappeared in one night, lol.
Sounds yummy Kittie!
Success! Best focaccia recipe yet! Love the easy instructions and the option to rise in the fridge. Will make this again and again.
Great to hear Jennifer! Thanks for leaving a review.
Hey if we’re separating the dough into two smaller dishes to bake two foccaccia’s, do we do this at the start of step 6 or the end? i.e. do we just perform one ‘stretch and fold’ and then separate the dough into two portions as we pour them into the baking dish?
Hi Ellen, yes I would divide after the “stretch and fold” in step six, before pouring into the baking dish.
Thank you, I did exactly that and they were delcious if not quite stodgy though. I’m keen to get more air bubbles! My water might have been a little too warm – would this have an effect on bubbles forming? I also did 1 tsp dry yeast (but noticed it didn’t say “instant”) and let it rise for 20 hours in the fridge and 5 hours on the bench in the baking dish
Hey Ellen, I haven’t the best luck with active dry yeast in the fridge. Instant yeast seems to works best for long cold rises in the fridge. I bet that was it?
GORGEOUS results! I only added a table spoon of Greek yoghurt. My oh my this bread is heavenly! Thank you
I like that idea Eman! Glad you enjoyed.
I am making this for the first time. Will be baking it tomorrow. I’d like to use an 11” round Pampered Chef ceramic deep dish to bake it in. Should I use butter or oil to oil the dish? Thanks!
I would use butter when using ceramic Bonny!