Focaccia Bread is an Italian bread that is made with lots of olive oil and full of Italian seasoning for a delicious and savory snack or appetizer. After I saw a recipe similar to this posted on TikTok by @thegoodwife, I knew I had to give it a shot! I ended up not liking the recipe and changed it a lot, and I think we have come across a real winner! It’s a great bread to add to a bread basket along with my garlic breadsticks and homemade bagels!
Focaccia Bread
Focaccia Bread comes from the Roman words, ‘panis focacious’, meaning fireplace bread or center bread. But, you don’t have to make this bread over a fireplace or even in the center of a room! Your oven in the kitchen will work just fine for this tasty bread that is delicious eaten on its own or dipped in olive oil!
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Focaccia Bread is easy to make and the perfect appetizer to share with guests or use as an alternative to sandwich bread. So, get out your bottle of olive oil and other ingredients to get this flavorful bread on the table.
Ingredients
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Granulated sugar
- Olive oil–Regular or extra virgin (but use extra virgin olive oil for dipping, if you have it)
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- All-purpose flour–If you use cake flour, the bread may rise a bit more.
How to Make the Bread Dough
To make Focaccia Bread, start by preparing the dough. In a large bowl, combine the yeast, water, and sugar. Stir this together and let it rest for five minutes. While that is resting, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Italian seasoning, half the sea salt, and garlic.
Pour half of this oil mixture into the yeast mixture, setting the other half of the oil mixture aside for later. Stir in the flour and put the dough into a greased bowl. Cover the dough with a tea towel for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Baking the Bread
After you have let the dough rest and double in size, it’s time to bake in all that flavor. Preheat the oven to 450°F and pour the remaining oil mixture into the bottom of an 8×11-inch baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to coat the pan with the oil. You can use a 9×13-inch baking pan, but the bread will be thinner.
Add the dough to the pan and spread it out to the edges. Next, dimple the dough with your fingers. You don’t need to press down hard, just make dents so the oil can settle in. Brush one teaspoon of olive oil on top of the dimpled dough and sprinkle the other half of the sea salt on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool and serve the bread plain or with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
How to Serve and Store Focaccia Bread
The most common way to serve focaccia bread is with a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But, that is not the only way! It’s wonderful as is and a tasty alternative to your sandwich bread. It also pairs well with a bowl of tomato soup or with a wedge salad for a light, but satisfying meal.
Focaccia Bread is best eaten the same day it is made, but if you can’t eat it all, you could store the leftovers in the freezer. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; then, wrap it again in aluminum foil. Label and date it; it will last about a month in the freezer. If you do have some bread that has gone stale, you can toast the pieces in the oven for some tasty croutons!
Looking for More Homemade Bread Recipes?
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for topping
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 2 1/2 cups (312.5g) flour
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Stir and let it rest 5 minutes.
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In a small bowl combine olive oil, Italian seasoning, half of the salt, and garlic.
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Pour half of the oil mixture into the yeast mixture. Set the remaining oil aside.
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Add flour and stir to combine.
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Add dough to a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Rest for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
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Preheat oven to 450°F.
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Pour remaining oil mixture into a 9×11-inch baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to coat the pan.
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Add the dough to the pan and work the dough to the edges. Use your fingers to create dimples in the dough.
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Brush the top of the dough with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the reserved sea salt. Set in the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.