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Light, airy, and crunchy Focaccia bread recipe infused with Italian herbs seasonings and topped with rosemary and olive oil excites the amateur or even the proficient baker!
Naturally vegan and the perfect make-ahead focaccia is the crowd-pleasing yeast bread you can serve for dinner parties, celebrations, potlucks, or family gatherings.
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— Alwaysensure 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 pangenerously 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.
For perfect slicing— Freshly baked hot bread is irresistibly tempting, for sure! However, do not feel tempted to slice the bread right after it is out of the oven. Please have patience, wait for it to cool down in the pan (for about 5 mins), and then transfer it to the cooling rack. Now, slice it cleanly with a sharp knife and serve.
Kneading is essential— Kneading the dough enhances its elasticity and gluten formation. It results in soft and fluffy bread, therefore, do not skip this step.
Easily scalable recipe— You can scale this recipe up or down to suit your requirement. For doubling this recipe, go for a bigger baking pan to fit the larger quantity of dough. Also, bake it for 25 – 30 mins in a preheated oven so that the focaccia bread is perfectly baked.
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 awarm 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 —
- Pesto focaccia bread
- Honey wheat brown bread
- Homemade Dinner rolls
- Easy garlic knots
- Beehive buns
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make the best focaccia bread recipe
Focaccia bread recipe
4.75 from 74 votes
Light, airy, and crunchy Focaccia bread recipe infused with Italian herbs seasonings and topped with rosemary and olive oil excites the amateur or even the profi baker! Naturally vegan and the perfect make-ahead focaccia is the crowd-pleasing yeast bread you can serve for dinner parties, celebrations, potlucks, or family gatherings.
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Rest: Rest: 2 hours hrs
Total: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Calories: 276 kcal
Servings: 8
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INGREDIENTS
YEAST INGREDIENTS
- 2¼ teaspoon Active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- ¼ cup Lukewarm water
DOUGH INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups All purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Italian Herb Seasoning
- 1¼ cup Warm Water
- 2 tablespoon All purpose flour – to finish the dough
TOPPINGS
- 1 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
US Customary – Metric
INSTRUCTIONS
ACTIVATE YEAST
Combine active dry yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water in a bowl. Give it a good stir. Let this mixture rest for 5-10 minutes to foam up.
MAKE THE DOUGH
Add flour, olive oil, Italian herb seasonings, proofed yeast, and salt to the stand mixer bowl.
Pour water into the bowl. Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients on medium speed until it forms a smooth dough.
FIRST RISE
Spray a bowl with oil. Transfer the dough to that greased bowl. Brush the top of the dough with oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free environment or inside your oven for 1-2 hours.
After the resting time is over, the dough will double in size and look all fluffy and airy.
KNEAD THE DOUGH
Remove the dough from the bowl, sprinkle it with some flour, and punch it down.
Knead the dough by stretching and pulling the dough. This step is necessary – if the dough is not kneaded well, the bread will turn out dense.
SECOND RISE
Grease a 9×9 inch baking tray and transfer the dough onto that baking tray. Stretch the dough to fit the entire pan.
Cover and let it rise for another 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size.Once the dough has doubled in size, make about 15-16 indents all over the dough.
You can use your fingers or the back of a spatula to make dimples in the focaccia dough.
LET'S BAKE THE FOCACCIA BREAD
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. While the oven is heating, you can top your bread with crushed black pepper, rosemary, and sea salt. Finally, drizzle olive oil all over the unbaked focaccia bread.
Bake the focaccia bread in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Once done, remove from oven and brush with more olive oil if desired.
Let the freshly baked focaccia bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Slice the focaccia bread into square pieces and serve warm.
Or you can create a veggie art all over your focaccia bread.To create this art, I have used red bell peppers, red onions, cilantro leaves, olives, and yellow peppers.
Serve warm.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my dough not rise?
The probable reasons for the dough not rising are —
- Your yeast must be old or inactive.
- You may not have provided the ideal warm temperature for the yeast to bloom. Yeast is a living organism thriving in warm and humid temperatures (between 80° and 90° F).
Can I make the Focaccia bread in advance?
Absolutely! You can bake this delicious herb focaccia bread well in advance. When baked fresh, brush it with Olive oil and allow it to cool. Then, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature.
When ready to serve, slice it as you want and warm it slightly in the microwave. Relish the divinely delicious focaccia.
How can I store the leftover vegan Focaccia bread?
After baking, allow the focaccia to cool down on the counter. Once completely cooled, wrap it in plastic and leave it on the counter. It stays fresh for about 3 to 4 days at room temperature, after which it must be refrigerated.
Can I double the recipe?
You sure can! You will need a bigger baking pan to fit the dough. The baking time and rise time will also need to be adjusted.
You should bake the bread for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven.
NUTRITION
Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 3mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
Author: Ruchi
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Egg-free, Vegan
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