My golden, fluffy, and easy Focaccia Bread is golden brown and perfectly crisp on the bottom! Known for its large and pillowy air bubbles, you can flavor it simply with olive oil, salt, and herbs or adapt it to fit your menu. It’s made with common ingredients in a few simple steps and makes a perfect side for bigger meals or can easily be turned into a sandwich.
This easy focaccia recipe doesn’t require any kneading or special equipment like many yeasted bread recipes. I recommend overnight proofing in the fridge for the most savory bread, but you can also make it in just a few hours (most of which is hands-off time). For more yeasted bread recipes, check out my Italian bread, artisan bread, and sourdough bread recipes.
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour — you don’t need any specialty flours for this focaccia. For the best results, measure the flour by weighing or gently scooping it into measuring cups before leveling off the top.
Active Dry Yeast — this type of yeast needs to be bloomed in a warm liquid before mixing it into the dough. I prefer using it for focaccia because it can be proofed for longer periods, allowing for slower fermentation resulting in a lighter texture and better flavor.
Honey — for a light sweetness and sugar to help the yeast grow. If needed, you can substitute two teaspoons of white or cane sugar.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil — essential to an authentic focaccia! Olive oil adds richness and helps bake slightly crisp crust on the bottom of the loaf. It also protects the bread from sticking to the pan. Use high-quality olive oil for the best flavor.
Salt — you will need one tablespoon of fine sea to season the dough and a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top. Salt is an essential flavor agent in this recipe; do not skimp on it!
Herbs — fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, or thyme, add savory flavor to the bread. You will need 1-2 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1-2 teaspoons of dried.
How To Make Focaccia Bread
1. Whisk together the warm water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl. Let stand until very foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the all-purpose flour and salt to the bowl. Stir with a spatula until the flour moistens and a sticky dough forms.
3. Coat another large bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the dough to the bowl and gently turn it a couple of times to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and chill for 12 to 18 hours. Alternatively, rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
4. Once risen, lightly oil your hands. Run your fingers down the sides of the bowl, tuck your fingers under one side of the dough, and fold the dough up and over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat. Turn and fold 2 more times for a total of 4 folds.
5. Brush two 13×9-inch baking pans with 1 tablespoon of olive oil each or an 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
6. Gently stretch the dough to the edges of the prepared pans by tucking your fingers under the dough and gently lifting and pulling it. It is okay if the dough springs back and does not touch the edges. Let the dough rise again until puffed and bubbly, 1 to 2 hours, stretching the dough every 30 minutes until it fills the pan.
7. After about 1 hour into the second rise, preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the risen focaccia with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
8. Gently spread the oil to coat the top of the dough with your fingers. Stretch and push the dough to touch the edges if it hasn’t filled the pan during the last rise. Press your fingertips into the dough, creating dimples all over.
9. Sprinkle the dough with flaky sea salt.
10. If desired, sprinkle the focaccia dough with fresh or dried herbs, such as fresh rosemary or thyme. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top and sides are golden brown. Once out of the oven, drizzle the hot bread with a few tablespoons of olive oil if preferred. Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely on the rack.
Chill The Dough For The Best Focaccia
A long and slow fermentation process is essential for the best focaccia. The yeast will grow much slower in a cold environment, producing a more even crumb, but it also creates a better-flavored focaccia. The best part is this extra time doesn’t require more of your hands-on time. Just place it in the fridge and let it rise on its own in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. I often like to prepare the dough in the evening, let it rise in the fridge overnight, and then stretch and bake it the next day.
The Secret To This No-Knead Focaccia
The Focaccia is tender, light, and airy thanks to a specific technique of folding the dough rather than a more classic kneading technique used for many yeasted breads. Folding the dough several times over itself creates structure and further develops gluten (essential to bread’s chewy texture when baked) while still keeping the bread light, airy, and fluffy. This is a great recipe for beginning bread bakers or anyone who might be intimidated by kneading dough.
Why Do You Press Dimples Into The Dough?
Dimpling the bread makes the bread’s air bubbles rise to the surface, contributing to focaccia’s signature appearance and distributing the air pockets evenly throughout the loaf, making it light and fluffy. You do this by oiling your fingers and pressing them straight into the dough (but not through the dough!). As you press it, you will see the bubbles pop up. It’s a fun activity to do with the kids, too!
Be sure to dimple the bread right before baking. If the bread continues to rise after, the dimples will disappear.
Variations
Focaccia is a great bread to flavor the way you want! If you add toppings, be sure to add them on after dimpling the dough, and don’t overcrowd the top. Too many toppings will weigh the dough down, causing the focaccia to be dense; a light scattering is great!
- Mix herbs or seasonings into the dough: For a deeper herbal flavor, mix 1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh or 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs with the flour and salt.
- Top with cheese: Shredded, shaved, or cubed parmesan, asiago, gruyère, sharp cheddar, or romano cheese are all delicious options for sprinkling on top of the unbaked focaccia!
- Use different herbs: Fresh or dried oregano or sage are great picks. You can also drizzle the top of the bread with 2-3 tablespoons of pesto instead of olive oil before baking.
- Add savory toppings: Top the dimpled dough with roasted garlic cloves or thin slices of red onions, olives, tomatoes, roasted butternut squash, sweet peppers, zucchini, jalapeños, or roasted red peppers before baking.
- Add sweet toppings: For a sweet twist, top the dough with halved figs, thinly sliced kumquats, blueberries, or sliced and pitted apricots or plums. Once baked, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.
Can I Make This With Sourdough Starter?
Yes! Sourdough focaccia is so delicious and can easily be made with an active sourdough starter instead of dry yeast. Here are the amounts to use if substituting starter (100% hydration) for one packet (7g) of dry yeast in my focaccia recipe (the remaining ingredients remain the same as in the original recipe):
- 120g active sourdough starter
- 410g (410ml) warm water (90-95°F)
- 540g all-purpose flour
To make the dough, skip blooming the yeast and stir the starter directly into the warm water until it is mostly dissolved. Then, proceed by adding the other ingredients and mixing the dough together. Continue with the recipe as directed, but keep in mind the time it takes your dough to rise will be longer. The first rise may take 4 to 6 hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the fridge. For the second rise, 2 to 4 hours.
Bake Thicker Loaves For Sandwiches
For thick and fluffy loaves, ideal for sandwiches, bake this recipe in one 13×9-inch cake pan or two 9-inch round pans. Increase the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes. To make sandwiches, cut the loaf into squares or wedges and split them by cutting in half through the center (like a hamburger bun).
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- The dough will be soft and sticky- don’t fret! This bread has a high moisture content, meaning it will likely stick to your hands and the bowl a bit at the beginning of the process. Oil the bowl and your hands well, but don’t worry if it sticks occasionally.
- Don’t be timid when stretching and dimpling the bread. Intentionally work the dough as you stretch it to fill the pan, as the dough will be a bit elastic and spring back when stretched. Don’t be afraid to press into the dough when dimpling! You don’t want to poke holes through the dough, but you should press your fingers down until you feel the bottom of the pan.
- For an extra crispy crust and added prevention against the crust sticking to the pan, rub the bottom of the pan or pans with 2 tablespoons of softened butter before drizzling with olive oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute up to 50% whole wheat or bread flour. If using whole wheat, add 2 extra tablespoons of water per cup of flour substituted.
Yes, this recipe makes a delicious Roman-style pizza dough! Make the dough as directed, and par-bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and top the crust with your favorite sauce and pizza toppings. Bake the pizza for 13-18 minutes until the center temperature reaches 205°F and the cheese is melted and golden on top.
I don’t recommend it because a slower fermentation process creates the best focaccia texture. But, if you need to speed up the process, you can use rapid rise yeast. If using it, just add it directly to the mixing bowl with the water, honey, flour, and salt, skipping the blooming step.
Room temperature: This homemade focaccia is best enjoyed within two days of baking. Keep it covered in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate the homemade bread, as it will dry out faster than if left at room temperature.
Freezing: To preserve peak freshness beyond 1-2 days, freeze the bread in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the bread at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
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Focaccia Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water 110-120F, (480mL)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 5 cups all-purpose flour (600g)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 to 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- Flakey salt
- Dried or fresh herbs (such as rosemary or thyme)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together water, yeast, and honey. Let stand until very foamy, about 5 minutes.
- To the bowl, add flour and salt. Stir together with a spatula until all of the flour is moistened and a very sticky dough forms.
- Coat another large bowl with 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the dough to the bowl and gently turn it a couple of times to coat in oil. Cover and chill for 12 to 18 hours. Alternatively, rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (A long fridge rise will result in a more flavorful bread, but both will be delicious!)
- Once risen, lightly oil your hands. Tuck your fingers under the dough on one side and fold the dough up and over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter-turn, and repeat. Turn and fold 2 more times for a total of 4 folds.
- Brush two 13×9-inch baking pans each with 1 tablespoons olive oil or an 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer dough to the baking pans, dividing it in half if using 2 pans. Gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pans by tucking your fingers under the dough and gently lifting up and pulling it. (The dough may spring back and not totally touch the edges.)
- Let the dough rise again until puffed and bubbly, 1 to 2 hours, stretching the dough every 30 minutes until it fills the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 450F after about 1 hour into the second rise.
- Drizzle the risen focaccia with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Gently spread the oil to coat the top of the dough with your fingers. Stretch and push the dough to touch the edges if it hasn’t filled the pan during the last rise. Press your fingertips into the dough creating dimples all over. (You can be aggressive!)
- Sprinkle with flaked salt and herbs, if desired.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top and sides or golden brown. You can drizzle the bread right out of the oven with a few more tablespoons of oil, if desired. Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely on the rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Toast leftovers before serving again.
Notes
- The dough will be soft and sticky- don’t fret! This bread has a high moisture content, meaning it will likely stick to your hands and the bowl a bit at the beginning of the process. Oil the bowl and your hands well, but don’t worry if it sticks occasionally.
- Don’t be timid when stretching and dimpling the bread. Intentionally work the dough as you stretch it to fill the pan, as the dough will be a bit elastic and spring back when stretched. Don’t be afraid to press into the dough when dimpling! You don’t want to poke holes through the dough, but you should press your fingers down until you feel the bottom of the pan.
- For an extra crispy crust and added prevention against the crust sticking to the pan, rub the bottom of the pan or pans with 2 tablespoons of softened butter before drizzling with olive oil.
i love this recipe, ive made it twice and it always comes out amazing!! question – i kinda want to try making this into 1 LARGE sheet. what size sheet would you recommend?