Focaccia bread recipe

There’s nothing more satisfying than the smell of freshly baked homemade bread! It’s empowering and fills your home with heavenly aromas – that’s hard to resist. 

And this focaccia bread recipe is no exception!

Making your homemade bread may seem daunting, but this is the most straightforward recipe anyone can create, and it comes out perfect every time!

This simple recipe can be a starting point for beginners as it starts with an easy way to use yeast and make homemade bread.

Made with everyday ingredients, Italian seasonings, and rosemary leaves – this focaccia bread recipe is so delicious and well worth the effort.

And not to mention, the entrancing aroma and the addictive flavors convince you to bake this fascinating bread that surpasses the store version!

You can shape it round or square, just as you want!

Drizzle it with the rosemary-infused olive oil, and you have the perfectly flavored focaccia with those tiny holes soaked into blissful deliciousness.

What is Focaccia Bread Recipe

Focaccia is a classic Italian flatbread leavened with yeast and has a texture similar to pizza bread. It is flavored with olive oil, Italian herbs, and seasonings and baked to golden perfection.

Focaccia has a delightful crisp outside with a soft and chewy inside.

The toppings may vary considerably with their different versions, rosemary and sage being the most popular herbs for topping.

You will find many regional variations of Focaccia in Italy, but the most popular ones exist in most parts of the world.

This focaccia bread is superbly delicious and can be eaten as is or as an accompaniment to soups and stews.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Focaccia Bread Recipe

This Olive oil flavored focaccia is an all-time favorite of bread lovers worldwide. There are more reasons for its popularity —

• No expertise is needed to bake; it is so easy!
• Uses just a few common ingredients
• Super soft, flavorful, and delicious
• Scalable: can be halved, doubled, tripled
• Egg-free and Vegetarian.

Perfectly crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside – it’s hands down the best focaccia bread you’ll ever eat!

Bake this delicious focaccia bread, and you’ll bake it on repeat. It’s an ideal recipe for entertaining your family and guests; this focaccia will surely bring many compliments.

Focaccia bread recipe Ingredient List

Herb focaccia bread comprises simple ingredients you can easily find in your pantry. Detailed measurements and step-by-step instructions can be found at the bottom of the page in the recipe card. 

All-purpose flour — Regular all-purpose flour works just great. However, you can also use bread flour or whole wheat flour for texture. If using whole wheat flour, add 1 cup of whole wheat flour to 2 cups of all-purpose flour and use it to make the Focaccia dough.

Active Dry Yeast — Instant or fresh yeast both work just well. However, when using instant yeast, you can conveniently skip the proofing step and add the yeast straight to the dough.

Sugar — Regular sugar is suitable for this focaccia bread recipe, though brown sugar can be used for deeper flavor. 

Olive Oil — Olive oil renders an unbelievable flavor to the focaccia besides the texture. You can also use canola or sunflower oil instead of olive oil.

Salt — Used for seasoning and flavoring the focaccia.

Italian Herbs — Italian herbs lend the classic flavor to our focaccia that takes the deliciousness of this recipe a notch up.  

Dried Rosemary — This also adds to the flavor and makes focaccia a super flavorful bread. 

Peppercorns — Crushed peppercorns are used as seasoning that adds a hint of warmth and elevates the recipe’s flavor.

Lukewarm Water — Lukewarm water at 100° -110° F is ideal for proofing the yeast. Do not go beyond this temperature, as this will spoil the yeast. 

Focaccia Bread Recipe Tips and Variations

Stick to the correct measurements — Correct measurement of ingredients is an essential part of baking the best bread, or your recipe is thrown off balance. Refer to the ingredients list carefully before proceeding with the recipe instructions.

If the yeast fails to bloom — Always ensure your yeast is fresh before baking. Yeast is a living organism that thrives in a warm, humid environment. So, if the yeast fails to bloom or foam up, discard it and start all over again; please do not proceed with the next step, as you will end up with dense and sticky focaccia bread recipe that is not delectable.

Rise the dough at a warm place — Allow the dough to rise at a warm spot in your kitchen. Keeping it in a cool place may take double the time. 

Alternatives for oil — Olive oil is used generously in this recipe for its impeccable flavor. Still, other oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, and melted coconut oil can also be used. Melted butter (vegan) also works well in the recipe.

Avoid over-baking the bread — Overbaking leads to dry baked bread; therefore, avoid it altogether. Keep an eye on the bread in the baking process to prevent it from getting over-baked. 

Alternative to rosemary — Traditional Focaccia is topped with the flavorsome rosemary. However, the other variations have different herbs rendering their unique flavors. 

Testing for doneness — The toothpick method is among the best and most reliable methods. The toothpick should come out with a few tiny crumbs attached when inserted. This step ensures perfect baking. If the toothpick comes out sticky, you may need to give more time (a few more minutes) to the baking. 

Use lukewarm water only — The reason behind using lukewarm water is that the yeast activates best in lukewarm water. Hot water kills the yeast, and cold water will not let the yeast activate. Therefore, lukewarm water between 100°- 110° F is the best for this focaccia bread recipe. 

For the sticky dough — The focaccia dough may feel sticky sometimes. To fix this, just add an extra tablespoon of flour and knead the dough until it comes together like a smooth dough.

Grease the baking pan generously — Greasing the baking pan generously will ensure a clean and quick slide-out of the bread after baking. 

Line the tray with parchment paper — Greasing the baking tray ensures an easy unmolding. However, for better unmolding, line the greased baking tray with parchment paper. 

Use mittens to remove the tray — The hot baking pan may cause you to burn; therefore, always use mittens to remove the tray from the oven.  

Versatile Focaccia bread — There are many delicious variations to this Focaccia bread recipe, and you can bake this bread with myriad flavors. Although there are endless possibilities to flavor this bread, some of the tried and tested ones are —

• Chili-garlic sauce
• Basil and crushed garlic 
• Red bell peppers and olives
• Sun-dried tomatoes and onions
• Basil and cherry tomatoes pesto
• Garlic herb 

Ideas to serve this focaccia bread recipe — This Focaccia bread pairs well with just anything! Try it with the following for a wholesome meal —

• Soups, Focaccia bread recipe
• salads,
• Saucy pasta dishes

This delicious herb focaccia makes a perfect accompaniment to almost any meal. 

I enjoy my rosemary focaccia bread dunked in a warm soup because this bread is so good at dipping in, and it soaks up all the delicious flavors. Either way, with soup or as is, this easy focaccia bread makes a hearty side to any meal.

Let me know what you think!

Baking a Focaccia for your family can be an enriching experience, especially when it brings smiles to the faces of your loved ones and garners your praises.

This recipe is undoubtedly more delicious and flavorful than the store-bought focaccia, and the aroma that fills the house…..ahhh….that is simply inexplicable!

Believe me; this is one of the best focaccia you would have ever had! Bake it now following the instructions below, and I bet you it will be your next family favorite.

Should you make this Focaccia bread art recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below.

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

Craving for more? Try these other delicious options —