Imagine a bread that’s not just a side but a star, with a texture so light and airy it practically dances on your taste buds. Focaccia is that and more – a canvas for culinary creativity, a blank slate waiting to be adorned with the flavors of your imagination. Whether you prefer it traditional with a sprinkle of sea salt or adventurous with toppings like caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes, focaccia invites you to experience bread in a whole new way.
Focaccia Bread Recipe
“Crafted with care and baked to perfection, our focaccia bread recipe delivers a symphony of flavors and textures. With a golden, herb-infused crust and a soft, airy interior, each bite is a savory delight. Perfect for sharing or savoring solo, this homemade focaccia is sure to impress!”
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Glass Mixing Bowls
- 1 9-inch Square Baking Pan
- 1 Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 3 &3/4 cups Bread Flour
- 8-10 tablespoons extra Virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for topping I used flakey salt
- 5 sliced garlic clove optional: you can top the bread with anything you like.
- sliced red onion.
- 2 springs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, honey, and 1/3 cup of warm water in a large basin. Let the mixture foam for five minutes. To see if the yeast is still alive, you can skip this step.
- With a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining water, salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour.
- Work the dough into a ball that is about semi-smooth. Don’t worry, the dough will be sticky. You may need to add an extra 3–4 tablespoons of flour or water, depending on the brand and type of flour. Note: You want to find a dough that is semi-sticky and can be shaped into a ball.
- The slower fermentation makes it better to proof for nine to fourteen hours over night in the refrigerator. The texture and flavor of the focaccia are improved by this technique. I prefer to prepare the dough the night before and let it rise in the refrigerator for a duration of nine to fourteen hours.
- Apply four tablespoons of olive oil (or more, based on the pan’s size) to a large round or rectangle baking pan. Spread the dough thinly, using plenty of olive oil. Avoid attempting to cover every corner of the pan with dough. I spread the dough thinly, cover the pan, and set it in a warm location to rise for a further two hours. The dough is going to spread and rise.
- After around two hours, make indentations in the dough with your fingers by running them through it. Add any kind of topping to the dough, such as garlic, red onion, rosemary, etc. Don’t forget to brush the bread with olive oil and season it with flaky sea salt both before and after baking.
- Set oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After the edges and top are golden, place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Before slicing, let the bread cool fully. Savor the focaccia bread by itself or with soup.
Notes
Flaky vs. Fine Sea Salt: You can easily substitute fine sea salt if you don’t have flaky sea salt on hand. If using fine sea salt, just be sure to use around half the amount so as not to oversalt the bread.
To Knead the Dough by Hand: Proceed to step 1 in a sizable mixing basin. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil gradually and whisk until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough is smooth, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for five minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Follow the recipe’s instructions and carry on.
Thickness of Bread: My preferred thickness for focaccia is slightly thicker. However, feel free to roll it out a bit further if you like yours thinner. It will puff up a lot when baking.
Why Did My Dough Not Rise?
The following are likely causes of the dough’s failure to rise:
- You must have old or dormant yeast.
- It’s possible that you didn’t provide the yeast with the perfect warm temperature to bloom. Since yeast is a living thing, it needs warm, humid conditions to thrive (between 80° and 90° F).
Can I Make the Focaccia Bread in Advance?
Of course! This is a fantastic herb focaccia bread that is best baked well in advance. After baking it fresh, drizzle it with olive oil and let it cool. After that, store it at room temperature with a loose plastic wrap covering.
When you’re ready to serve, slice it any way you like and give it a little microwave warm-up. Savor the incredibly tasty focaccia.
