Focaccia Recipe
A classic focaccia bread recipe with rosemary, featuring a crisp, olive oil-soaked crust and soft, airy interior, made using a simple high-hydration dough.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- 9x13 baking pan
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups warm water
- 6 tbsp olive oil divided, plus more for the pan
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
Mix the Dough and First Rise
- In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, mixing with a spatula or your hands until a shaggy, wet dough forms; this dough will be much stickier and wetter than a typical bread dough, which is expected for focaccia.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until it has roughly doubled in size and looks bubbly on top.
Stretch and Dimple the Dough
- Generously coat a 9x13 baking pan with olive oil, about 2 tablespoons worth, making sure to coat the bottom and sides well. Transfer the dough into the pan, then gently stretch it toward the edges of the pan with oiled hands, being careful not to deflate it too much.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rest and rise again for about 45 minutes to an hour, until puffy. Using oiled fingertips, press deep dimples all across the surface of the dough, going almost all the way to the bottom of the pan.
Top and Bake
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the dimpled dough, letting it pool into the dimples. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary and flaky sea salt evenly across the top.
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 22-25 minutes, until the focaccia is deeply golden brown on top and crisp at the edges. Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack or cutting board to slice.
Notes
- This dough is meant to be wet and sticky, so resist the urge to add extra flour to make it easier to handle, since that extra flour will result in a denser, less airy finished focaccia.
- Using generously oiled hands, rather than flour, to handle the dough throughout the process makes it much easier to work with without sticking.
- Dimpling the dough deeply, almost to the bottom of the pan, is what creates those characteristic little pools of olive oil across the top once baked.
- The generous amount of oil in the pan is intentional and essential, since it essentially fries the bottom crust as the focaccia bakes, giving it that signature crisp texture.
- Leftover focaccia keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or can be frozen for up to a month.