Last Updated on 20th July 2022 by
Focaccia bread is a soft, light bread with an airy center. It’s topped with the taste of garlic and rosemary, and the texture is really chewy and slightly crispy.
It’s pretty easy to make focaccia bread at home, if you follow the recipe I have for you down below.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
What can compare to the scent of freshly baked bread in the home? I’m always looking for a reason to bake fresh bread and try new bread recipes, and if you’re the same way, you are going to love this homemade focaccia bread recipe.
Ingredients:
- 7 grams of instant yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 ½ cups of warm water
- ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil for the pan and 1 tablespoon for the dough
- 3 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of honey
To make the topping:
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of kosher saltDirections:
- Prepare the yeast by pouring warm water into a cup and adding in a teaspoon of honey. Add the packet of yeast and allow to rest for 6 minutes, or however long it takes for the surface to start foaming.
- You can make your bread dough by combining 3 ¾ cups of flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Add the yeast mixture to that and mix with a wooden spoon. Continue mixing until there is no dry flour left and the mixture becomes a doughy mass.
- At that point, add in a tablespoon of olive oil and work the dough with your hands. Make sure the oil gets absorbed completely. Then, cover the bowl and allow to rest and rise for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the topping by combining 2 tablespoons of water, 1 ½ teaspoons of rosemary, 2 tablespoon sofa oil, 2 garlic cloves (minced), and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together with a whisk and set that to the side.
- Dip your hands in water and then take your dough and fold it to make gluten strands. Pull up a corner without tearing it free and fold it back on itself. Turn the bowl around and do this a few more times and then cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. Do that process three more times and then put your dough onto an oiled baking sheet.
- Stretch the dough out in the pan and cover for 45 minutes to an hour.
- The dough should be puffy by then, and you can dip your hands in water and then poke indentations into the top of the dough all over. Lift the edges to get rid of air bubbles and then brush on the topping.
- Finally, bake the dough for 22-25 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The bread should be crispy and golden brown when it is done.
How to Store Focaccia Bread
This bread can be stored at room temperature, wrapped loosely in plastic wrap and use within two days.
If you want it to last for longer, you can always freeze it in a freezer safe bag for 3-4 months. Then, just let the focaccia bread thaw out in the fridge overnight before using it.
How to Reheat Focaccia
The best way to warm up focaccia bread is in the oven. Just heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and let it rest on a baking pan for about 3-5 minutes in the oven, after the oven has heated all the way. This helps retain the crispiness of the bread.
The worst way to warm it is in the microwave, as it becomes soggy and loses some of its flavor. You could also cut the bread into slices and toast it gently to warm it.
Alternatively, you can put it in a skillet and warm on the stove on low heat for about 1-2 minutes.
How to Eat Focaccia Bread
If you are wondering how to serve focaccia bread, you should know that this bread is so flavorful that you don’t need to add anything to it to make it tasty, but it makes for a great sandwich bread.
Cut the bread into two lengthwise pieces and then slice it vertically as necessary to make your sandwich bread.
It’s also excellent when served up as part of a meal, with a little garlic dipping sauce or butter to go with it.
How to Make Focaccia Bread Fluffy
If your focaccia bread is not coming out fluffy, you may be doing something wrong during the preparation process. Make sure you are using the right kind of yeast, known as brewer’s yeast, for best results.
Any kind of yeast will do, but this kind of yeast is particularly good at making the bread fluffy. Use white all-purpose flour or a mixture of that flour and Manitoba flour for extra fluffy bread.
How to Make Focaccia Pizza
To make a lovely pizza from this bread, you can stretch it out across prepared pizza pans and then add your toppings. You can still make the topping that I gave you a recipe for up above and just brush your crust with that to give it more flavor.
Then, bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. Just follow the directions I gave you above if you want to know how to make focaccia from pizza dough.
How to Bake Focaccia
It’s important that you not overcook the bread or undercook it. Ensure that the bread isn’t too puffy and has no air pockets, so it can cook all the way through and not overcrowd the pan.
Try not to open the oven during the baking process, as that could cause your bread to fall and become flat.
There is a lot more you can do with this bread, and if there is demand for it, I will write how to make sourdough focaccia or do other things with this incredible bread.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
