Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Is there anything better than pairing extra-virgin olive oil with fresh rosemary, especially when embedded in bread?! The salt on top of this bread doesn’t hurt either.
Texture: The best part of homemade focaccia bread is the texture, am I right? It’s somehow magically chewy yet soft, rich, and just slightly crunchy and crusty at the edges. It’s perfection in every bite.
Ease: SO easy – you don’t even have to knead or use a mixer.
Appearance: Rustic beauty.
Pros: Just amazing all-around.
Cons: Patience while the focaccia bread rises.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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I love baking bread (like this Focaccia Bread!) and I frequently receive messages from readers, saying you love seeing bread-baking-related recipes, tips, tutorials, and videos. That makes me SO happy.
The idea of making homemade bread can be daunting – and can also feel like something only done in decades past. How many of you have grandmothers who only baked bread from scratch?
I am thrilled about the more recent trend toward scratch-made cooking and baking and the increased importance placed on quality ingredients and food. That is what I am ALL about! Bread baking gets a bad rap – but in reality, all it requires is patience. I promise it’s not as scary as it seems.
I recently binge-watched Salt Fat Acid Head on Netflix and LOVED it.
Samin Nosrat has such a pure and joyful love and curiosity for food and culture that’s positively contagious. In the “Fat” episode, she makes a batch of Ligurian Focaccia. It looks so perfect and incredible that I knew I needed to make a batch myself, STAT.
So I took my original easy focaccia bread recipe from years ago (first published in 2014!) and added elements to it inspired by Diego and Samin in the show.
I reduced the amount of yeast and added a longer rising / fermentation time, to develop a better flavor and texture inside. It’s totally worth the wait. Not only that, but in doing so, I was able to switch this to a ‘no knead’ method recipe, so you don’t even need a stand mixer!
Then I added a salty brine on top of the dough just before baking, to give the focaccia that crispy salty crust that’s so mouthwatering and addictive.
More tips for this chewy focaccia bread recipe below!
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Ingredients for Rosemary Focaccia Bread
- Active dry yeast – Learn about the differences between active dry vs. instant yeast here.
- All-purpose flour – The backbone of our focaccia bread. You can use bread flour if you prefer, but all-purpose works great here.
- Granulated sugar – Just a little, to help feed the yeast as the bread ferments.
- Salt – Do not skip the salt!
- Fresh rosemary – For the most incredible flavor!
- Extra virgin olive oil – This is where the magical flavor and texture comes from!
How to Make CRISPY Focaccia Bread
To guarantee crispy golden brown edges, I like to use a pizza stone to bake the tray of focaccia dough on. If you don’t have one, simply invert a high-quality rimmed baking pan and use in place of a stone.
How to Make the BEST Focaccia Bread
- Combine the water, yeast, and sugar to form the yeast mixture. Add in 2 teaspoons of the chopped rosemary, half the flour, and the salt, stirring to combine. Add 1/2 cup olive oil.
- Gradually add in the rest of the flour. Mix until a shaggy mass forms.
- Cover and rise. Let the dough rise until doubled in size. The time this takes will depend on your kitchen environment and can take several hours, especially if your home runs cool. More on this below.
- Prepare the baking pan. Drizzle olive oil over a baking pan.
- Shape the focaccia. Turn the dough onto the pan and press it out to fit the size of the pan. Spread your fingers to make dimples all the way through the dough.
- Make the salty brine. Combine warm water and salt. Pour over the dough to make pools of water in the dimples.
- Proof again. Cover loosely with plastic and allow to proof again until the dough is puffy, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven. Place a baking stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Finish the focaccia. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sea salt and the remaining rosemary.
- Bake. Place sheet pan on top of the preheated stone and bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Variations for Homemade Focaccia Bread
- Fresh herbs – Feel free to add whatever herbs you like to this focaccia bread. Fresh sage is a delicious alternative/addition. Fresh thyme, basil and chives are also fabulous options.
- Toppings – You can also top the bread with whatever you fancy. I like shredded cheese (parmesan cheese works great), crumbled feta or goat cheese, torn fresh mozzarella, olives, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or even caramelized onions.
- Homemade everything bagel seasoning adds a fun touch.
- Garlic cloves – Add fresh, finely minced garlic to the dough.
- Pizza – Make a Focaccia Pizza!
- Sandwiches – Use a serrated knife to slice your cooled bread in half and make focaccia sandwiches.
- Dip into your favorite soups!
How to Make Focaccia Bread Ahead of Time
You can make focaccia bread ahead of time by letting the dough chill in the fridge, covered, for a few days before shaping. The longer it ferments, the more flavor will develop! Allow to come to room temperature before shaping and allowing to rise for the second time.
How to Serve & Store or Freeze Focaccia Bread
The focaccia bread is definitely best served the day it’s made. However, you can freeze any leftover focaccia. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Keep in the freezer for one month. Allow to defrost at room temperature then refresh in a 325°F oven until warmed through and crispy again, about 5 minutes. Day-old bread can also be chopped up, baked at 375°F for about 10 minutes, and used as croutons!
More Homemade Bread Recipes
- Ultimate Dinner Rolls (foolproof recipe)
- Copycat Hawaiian Rolls (slightly sweet & so delicious)
- Ricotta Herb Dinner Rolls (so pillowy soft)
- Ultimate Pizza Dough (pizza nights at home are the best!)
- Homemade Burger Buns (you’ll never go back to store-bought)
- Homemade Bread Bowls (perfect for soup or chili)
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Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups lukewarm water, about 100° to 110°F
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, chopped and divided
- 5 1/4 cups (670 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
For the brine:
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup lukewarm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Add in 2 teaspoons of the chopped rosemary, half the flour, and the salt, and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup olive oil. Gradually add in the remaining flour until a shaggy mass forms. Only add in as much flour as you need to create a shaggy, slightly sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment at room temperature for about 8 to 10 hours, or until doubled in size. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough for several days until ready to bake. This will also develop more flavor.
- Coat a rimmed half-sheet pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Turn the dough onto the pan and begin pressing it out with your fingertips to fit the size of the pan. Coax and stretch the dough to fit the entire pan, or just about. If the dough springs back, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before proceeding. Spread your fingers to make little dimples all the way through the dough.
Make the brine:
- Combine the warm water and salt together until the salt is dissolved. Pour all over the dough to make little pools of water in the dimples. Cover loosely with plastic and allow to rise again until the dough is puffy, about 45 minutes.
Bake the bread:
- Meanwhile, place a baking stone in the oven and preheat to 450°F. If you don't have a baking stone, invert a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to preheat.
- Sprinkle the dough liberally with coarse sea salt and the remaining rosemary leaves. Bake with the sheet pan on top of stone until the focaccia is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2019 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Hi Tessa,
Have quite a few of your recipes printed and planning on making today. A little coffee shop where I used to live made Focaccia Buns that were so awesome! While I don’t usually like olives I loved the few that were in the bun. I saw Frenchie (the cook) bring them out of the oven once and brushed them with (lots) of butter. Any idea on how to make them?
Ooh Focaccia Buns sound lovely! I might have to look into developing a recipe 🙂
Hi Tessa,
How would the first few steps be adapted for someone who doesn’t have a standing mixer?
Thanks,
Metta
Hi Metta – as I mentioned in the video you can knead the dough by hand, it’ll just take some strength and maybe a bit more time.
Oh my goodness, that looks soooooo good!
Got it this time! Thanks for fixining it.
Awesome! You’re so welcome.
I tried to save this recipe to my Ziplist and it’s not working. I keep getting a message that the content isn’t there. Can this be fixed?
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Jessica. It appears something is very wrong with this post, there are now multiple issues that I have found. I am working on resolving these issues and will let you know when they are fixed. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Jessica, can you try again now? If it still isn’t working try restarting your browser.
Looks like it came from the store! Gorgeous!
I’m new to your blog and I love that the first post I received is for focaccia. I’m also delighted to know that you don’t own a bread machine. Baking bread from scratch is really not difficult, though mastering the technique of hand-kneading has a bit of a learning curve (I don’t have a stand mixer, either). Homemade bread is the best.
Thanks so much! Glad to have a fellow homemade bread lover around 🙂
Focaccia is my favorite! Looks gorgeous, Tessa!
I love focaccia and can’t wait to try this out!
Tessa, thank you so much for posting this wonderful focaccia recipe! And all of your instructions and step-by-step photos are so helpful. I love focaccia and have to try it at home now.
Wow-this looks truly delicious! I’ve been dying for some good focaccia bread and just so happen to have all the ingredients so I’m going to give this a try this week! And the photos beautiful as usual!
Hi, Tessa,
Nothing makes your house smell more like home than bread in the oven! Your focaccia looks delicious – I can almost smell it baking now. 🙂
A couple of baking notes….
1. You should really, really, really consider weighing ALL the ingredients. Besides making ‘baker’s math’ calculations easier, it turns out that inaccurate measurements are a very common problem (especially few new bakers) and, in my opinion, are the single biggest reason people get ‘turned off’ to baking.
2. Salt. Building on point #1, salt, especially kosher salt, needs to be weighed. The density of kosher salt varies wildly by brand. i.e. Morton kosher salt is about twice as dence as Diamond Crystal kosher salt, meaning the amount of salt in a volume-based measurement (like a tablespoon) can be way, way, way off depending on the brand of salt you’re using. Weighing gets rid of this problem completely.
3. Freezing dough. If you’re going to freeze pizza or focaccia dough you want to let it go through the 1st rise (primary fermentation) first before freezing to let the dough develop. The extreme cold of the freezer really annoys the yeast and shuts them down quickly. Going directly into the freezer will result in an under-developed dough which won’t taste or bake the way it should.
4. Bread machine. If you use your bread machine as a ‘dough machine’, you don’t need a lot of adaptation…just mix the dough in the bread machine and then pick up where you move the dough to an oiled bowl. Focaccia is a flat bread by definition – part of its appeal is the high crust to crumb ratio – so you should not bake focaccia in a bread machine ever.
BTW – I love your writing style – very clear, easy to follow and you always add an element of fun into each recipe. Always a delight to read your work!
Happy baking!
Paul:
Thanks for bringing up the “weigh your ingredients” issue. I totally AGREE. Weighing is the smartest thing a baker can do. And that’s a good tip on freezing dough. I’ve never done it but I do slice and freeze my bread after the first feeding frenzy.