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.
Pros: Just amazing all-around.
Cons: Patience while the focaccia bread rises.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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.
Free Ingredient Measuring Guide!
The key to consistent baking success is a click away. Sign up to get instant access to my printable Ingredient Measuring Guide now!
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!
Sprinkle of Science
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.
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 Savory Recipes You’ll Love:
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 has been updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Easy to make! I love this bread. I’ve used it for croutons, sandwiches and just plain eating! It’s pretty much foolproof. I’ve always been afraid to bake bread, but this stuff is easy and delishious!
What size pan are you using?
I have made this twice. Once for a football get together and second for an oyster roast with friends. Both times it got rave reviews! I followed the recipe, except I used a whole packet of yeast. The rising time was much shorter. The taste and texture of this bread is fantastic! On the second loaf, I used anything bagel seasoning along with the resemary. Amazing!! THANKS!
Hi Tessa! I am a (veryveryvery) beginner bread maker (I’ve made exactly 3 loaves of yeast bread in my life). Can you please clarify what a “shaggy dough” looks like?
The opposite of smooth 🙂
Thanks so much for the great recipe! I have made this so many times for friends and family and it is always a hit. However, I was disappointed to see the recipe updated to include more time/steps than before! I was wondering if you would be willing to send or post your older recipe as it was such a favorite…
Hi, Tessa! About a month ago … in August 2019 … I came across your video on how to make FOCACCIA BREAD and bake it on an Emile Henry rectangle pizza stone. And, fortunately, right after that, also in August 2019, I was able to find and buy the 2nd. last Emile Henry glazed rectangle pizza stone online, to use for baking your recipe for Focaccia Bread. Your video on how to make Focaccia bread, which I had initially watched back in August 2019, showed how you place the jelly roll pan RIGHT ONTO THE HOT Emile Henry GLAZED RECTANGLE PIZZA STONE IN THE OVEN. But just moments ago, today … Sept. 12, 2019 … I went to watch that same video, on the internet, which I had found and watched back in August 2019, on the internet, but this time the video DIDN’T SHOW YOU PLACING THE JELLY ROLL PAN ONTO THE HOT rectangle Emile Henry glazed pizza stone in the oven. I went on You Tube but couldn’t find that video showing you placing the Emile Henry glazed rectangle pizza stone in the oven to heat up & then showing you place the jelly roll pan with the Focaccia Bread dough on it, onto the hot preheated rectangle glazed pizza stone. This time, the video I found and watched only shows you spreading the Focaccia Bread dough in the jelly roll pan, & then bringing the jelly roll pan back to the counter with the BAKED Focaccia bread on it … but it doesn’t show the Emile Henry pizza stone in the oven, or you placing the jelly roll pan with the Focaccia Bread dough on it, onto the preheated hot pizza stone in the oven. Where can I find and watch the same video I had found and watched back in August 2019 which shows the Emile Henry glazed rectangle pizza stone & you placing the jelly roll pan with the Focaccia Bread dough onto it?
Hi, Tessa! I had sent you a question about Focaccia Bread, some time ago, & now when I just received an email from you saying that there’s a new comment on Focaccia Bread, I thought it was the answer to my question … but it wasn’t. My question WAS … Can I use TYPE 00 FLOUR to make your Focaccia Bread recipe? I use TYPE 00 FLOUR to make some excellent breads … TYPE 00 FLOUR is what most commercial pizzerias use to make pizza dough. TYPE 00 FLOUR is also very commonly used in Italy. If I can use TYPE 00 FLOUR, how much of it can or should I use to make your Focaccia Bread recipe? Sheila.
How do I use the brine and when
Hi, Tessa! I am looking forward to making your Focaccia Bread recipe very soon. I have been BAKING for decades, and now in my retirement lifestyle I TEACH BAKING (for free) to young mothers & teenagers from ethnic backgrounds whose own cultural foods don’t include our “European / western style” baking and cooking. I have won prizes for my baking over the decades. I have been using (organic) TYPE 00 FLOUR TO MAKE PIZZA DOUGH FOR A FEW YEARS NOW … and I would like to know if it’s okay to use this Type 00 Flour to make your Focaccia Bread, even though your recipe for this Focaccia Bread uses All Purpose Flour. I used to IMPORT small amounts of ORGANIC ITALIAN TYPE 00 FLOUR FROM A COMPANY IN THE UK (England) called “Bakery Bits UK) … it was EXCELLENT for making pizza dough. But more recently I have been able to find ORGANIC CANADIAN GROWN TYPE 00 FLOUR right here in the Toronto area where I live … the brand name of this Organic Canadian Grown TYPE 00 Flour is “Anita’s Organics” … I think you can buy it online … but I bought mine at a local health food store in the Toronto area. Please advise if your recipe for Focaccia Bread will turn out OK if I use Type 00 Flour. PLEASE KEEP MY CONTACT INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL. BLESSINGS … Sheila.
i can’t thank you enough for this recipe. It turned out superb. Best foccacia bread I’ve made. Once again thanks.
Uh oh. The recipe has changed and I didn’t save the original. I’ve been making this for a few years and it’s a favorite. I haven’t tried the updated version yet and I’m slightly afraid to as the original was so highly received.
We used your focaccia dough recipe the other day. We made the dough in the early afternoon and let it rise until late at night. We then transferred the dough into a pan where we let it rise for 2 hours and then refrigerated it overnight. We took the pan out in the early afternoon and let it rise for another 2 hours and then applied toppings. We let it bake for 50 minutes and I can’t describe how delicious it was and how it reminded me of what my mom used to make when I was much younger. Thank you for sharing.