Focaccia bread is one of my favorite indulgences! It fills the house with the most amazing smell and makes you bust out the dipping oils, roast some garlic, and prepare for a feast. So today I wanted to share my favorite focaccia recipe and show you how to make focaccia bread.
I find focaccia bread even easier to bake then regular bread and I love how creative you can be with the toppings. As you can see in the video below, I split the focaccia bread in half and did spicey olives and on the other side I added sautéed garlic, onion, and tomatoes. But honestly, you can put your favorite toppings on wether it’s bacon or rosemary… don’t be afraid to be creative.
I also want to mention that the water temperature is VERY IMPORTANT for the success of your focaccia bread so make sure you use a thermometer. I’ve made bread plenty of times where it flopped because of the water being too hot or too cold.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/3 cup warm water (about 110°F)
- 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
- 1 (0.25 ounce) package active-dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
- Proof the yeast. Add warm water (about 110°F, which you can measure with a thermometer if you want to be sure it’s the right temp) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (this one is amazing and way more affordable then a Kitchen Aid) with the dough attachment, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
- Knead the dough. Set the mixer to low speed, and add gradually flour, olive oil, and salt. Increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 5 minutes. (If the dough is too sticky and isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add in an extra 1/4 cup flour while it is mixing.)
- First dough rise. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Place in a warm location (I set mine by a sunny window) and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.
- The second dough rise. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick*. Cover the dough again with the damp towel, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
- Prepare the dough. Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish). Use your fingers to poke deep dents (seriously, poke all the way down to the baking sheet!) all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
- Serve. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice, and serve warm.
This recipe was a little tweeked from the original I found on https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/
What do you think?