My whole family became obsessed with focaccia bread over the course of several vacations to different Italian citiesbut in the Liguria region is where we truly fell in love (no surprise!)After countless tests in my Spanish kitchen Im so excited to share this recipe with youANYONE can make focaccia from scratch and I love that theres no special equipment neededjust a good quality metal 9×13-inch baking panAnd if you love making bread recipes try my Chocolate BabkaPita BreadEnglish Muffinsor No Knead Artisan Bread.
How to make Focaccia:
Make DoughUsing a food scaleweigh flour into a large mixing bowl then stir in saltsugarand yeastRepeat this motiongrabbing a new section of dough each time and moving around the dough until all sides have been pulled up and pressed to the centerCover with a dry kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 minutesRemove dough from fridge and gently scoop into the panCover pan with a dry kitchen towel and rest at room temp for 2 to 4 hours.
Dimple DoughPreheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 C)Move dough one side of the pan and then the other.
Add Toppings and BakeDrizzle 1 Tablespoons olive oil evenly over the doughSprinkle with flakey sea salt (and rosemaryif desired)Print Pin Review Author Lauren Allen Course AppetizerbreadSide Dish Cuisine Italian Servings 12 servings Calories 213 Cost 3 Prep 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins Cook 20 minutes mins Refrigeration Time 8 hours hrs Total 11 hours hrs 30 minutes mins Save Recipe Equipment Metal 9×13 Pan
Dough Hook
Food Scale
Mixing bowl Ingredients 1x 2x 3x 4 3 4 cups bread flour (576g)
2 1 2 teaspoons kosher salt (14g)
1 1 2 teaspoons granulated sugar or honey (8g)
2 teaspoons instant yeast (5g)
2 cups warm water (454g)(90°F to 110°F)
2 1 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (30g)plus more for pan and topping For Topping on Doughextra virgin olive oil
flaky sea salt*
fresh rosemary sprigs coarsely chopped (optionalInstructions Make DoughUse a scale to measure weigh flour into a large mixing bowlCover bowl and set it aside for 15 minutes4 cups bread flour2 teaspoons kosher salt1 teaspoons granulated sugar or honey2 teaspoons instant yeast2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 cups warm water
Stretch and FoldPlace a small bowl of water next to the mixing bowlRepeat this motiongrabbing a new section of dough each timemoving around the dough until all side have been pulled up and pressed into the centerCover bowl with a dry kitchen towel and allow dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Repeat this same stretch and fold 3 additional times over the next 45 minutes (this will help strengthen the gluten).
Refrigerate overnightAfter the 4th stretch and foldcover the bowl with a lid of greased plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours)Remove dough from fridge and gently transfer to the pan(It should look puffy and have expanded risen to fill most of the panThis step will take more or less time depending on your climate and how warm your kitchen is).
Dimple DoughPreheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 C)extra virgin olive oilflaky sea salt*fresh rosemary sprigs
Bake focaccia for 20 minutesuntil goldenRemove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rackNotes Overnight RiseI’ve found the dough has the best flavor and texture when it chills for many hours (cold fermentation)If you’re short on timeallow it to rise at a warm room temperature for about 1 houruntil doubled in sizethen add to pan as instructed and rise in pan for just 1-2 hours (since the dough wont be cold)Olive OilUse a good quality cold-pressed
A metal pan is essential to get the right texture for focacciaUse a good quality cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil to get the right texture for focacciaI love this one Topping VariationsCherry Tomatoes and Basil (add basil after baking)
Caramelized Onions and Thyme (add before baking)
GarlicParmesanand Chives (add before baking)
Blue CheesePear Slicesand Chopped Walnuts (all added after baking)
FigsHoneyand Goat Cheese (all added after bakingStoring InstructionsFocaccia tastes best the day it’s madeStore leftovers wrapped in foilat room temperatureLeftovers work great to make focaccia pizza (use focaccia as the pizza crustadd toppingsand warm in oven).
