This homemade focaccia bread recipe is delicious and simple to make for any level baker. It’s perfect with dinner, or as a side to a nice cheeseboard and a glass of wine.
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Focaccia bread is one of those totally sinful breads that the waiter at the Italian restaurant should never bring to the table, because once it’s there, it’s gone in 2.5 seconds.
Salty, herbed, and infused with olive oil, focaccia bread is one food that’s hard to say no to. It’s also incredible straightforward to make.
That’s why I’m sharing this easy focaccia bread recipe with you here today. It only has a handful of staple ingredients and you won’t be able to mess this up if you follow all the easy directions below.
Rosemary Focaccia Recipe
If you’ve enjoyed an Italian focaccia recipe, then you’re probably familiar with the fact that it often contains rosemary leaves.
Rosemary, which is also a favorite French herb, has a strong, earthy aroma and flavor, much like thyme does.
You don’t need a ton of rosemary for this recipe; one large sprig will do. The rosemary leaves should be torn off the stem and then tossed on top of the focaccia dough right before it goes in the oven.
Rustic Focaccia Bread Recipe
One reason I really love this recipe is because of how straightforward it is. There’s no need for any extra fuss or perfection; this perfectly rustic focaccia bread recipe looks beautiful without trying.
It’s got the typical rest and rise time required with baking most simple breads, and outlines very simple ingredients.
You also don’t need have to have a mixer to make this bread as much of the kneading is done by hand. If you have a stand mixer and want to use it for the initial combining of ingredients, you can. But don’t think that you need a mixer to complete this recipe.
Another highlight, for me, is that the bread isn’t completely drenched in olive oil. While I like my focaccia infused with the taste of olive oil, I don’t like when the bread is soggy with oil.
Even though you use less olive oil in this bread recipe than some other recipes suggest, I find that the taste is not at all compromised. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that there’s enough olive oil being used to grease your bowl, baking sheet, and so on to ensure the dough is always moist with oil.
I would recommend eating this bread warm out of the oven, then cutting any leftover bread into medium to large squares and freezing them in a ziplock bag to use later for sandwiches or cheese spreads. Simply delish!
Watch the quick video for an easy demonstration of how this bread is made!
Want to Try Our Other Bread Recipes?
- If you love French bread, try our recipe for homemade French baguettes!
- You can also make some fancier looking bread by trying out our recipe for Wheat Stalk Bread (PAIN D’EPI).
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Yield: 20 medium squares
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
An easy and delicious focaccia bread recipe made with just a handful of ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, approx. 105°F to 110° F (important - see note)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting your hands and work surface with
- 1 3/4 tsp table salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling on top
- 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Freshly ground sea salt
Instructions
1. To a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dry yeast and granulated sugar. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm water over the yeast and sugar, then give the mixture a gentle stir. Let this mixture rest for 5-7 minutes, until it looks foamy and beige. If it doesn't foam up, that means your yeast is old or your water was too hot/too cold. Start again.
2. To the activated yeast mixture, add the flour, remaining cup of warm water, and table salt. Mix everything together until you get a wet, sticky dough.
3. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in and mix everything again to incorporate.
4. Turn the dough out onto a counter or wood board that's been dusted with flour. Dust your hands with flour too then begin kneading your dough for a minute. To knead, grab one end of the dough and fold it over onto itself. Place the heel of your palm in the dough, gently pressing down and upward with your heel to slightly stretch the dough out. Again, fold the dough over itself, then rotate the dough and do the same kneading motion with the heel of your palm. Repeat this step for a minute.
5. Flip your dough over so that you have a nice smooth compact ball. Pour a little olive oil into a very large bowl and tip the bowl around so that the bottom and sides are lightly covered in oil. Transfer the dough ball with the smooth side facing up into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free environment for 1 hour. Note: the perfect environment is to turn on your oven's warm setting for 30 seconds, then turn OFF the oven, and place the bowl of dough inside the oven.
6. After an hour, pour a little bit of olive oil over a baking sheet and use a brush to spread the oil all over the sheet, effectively greasing it. Gentle dump the dough ball, which should have doubled in size by now, onto the baking sheet. Pour any residual olive oil from the bowl onto the dough too. Use your hands to stretch out the dough to the edges of the baking sheet. The dough will slightly spring back towards the center, so it won't completely fill to the very edges of the sheet, but that's OK.
7. Cover the dough with a light kitchen towel or tea towel for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375°F.
8. After 30 minutes, use your index finger to poke indentations all over the top of the bread. Grind a pinch of sea salt all over the top of the bread, then adorn the top of the bread with rosemary leaves.
9. Bake the focaccia for 30 minutes, before switching the oven setting to broil at 500°F for another minute or two. Watch the bread - you just want it to become a little golden on top. Don't let it brown too much and burn. Serve warm.
Notes
It's very important that when you're activating yeast, you use a food thermometer or a very practiced touch to ensure your water is no cooler nor warmer than 105°F to 110°F. If your water is too warm, it will kill your yeast. If it's too cool, your yeast won't be activated and your dough won't rise correctly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20Serving Size: 1 Servings
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 94
