Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe

Focaccia Bread - You'll have crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside focaccia bread in about an hour with this easy recipe. This simple bread recipe requires just five ingredients and a little bit of rise time. Plus, try my ideas for toppings for focaccia bread and take this bread recipe to the next level.

Focaccia bread is an Italian bread made with olive oil, yeast and a soft dough. On the doughs second rise it is dimpled by pushing your fingers into the dough to create craters for olive oil to pool in. The result is a dough that's crispy and flavorful on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside.

You can make the base recipe or add toppings to the focaccia dough before baking. The possibilities are endless, but some great add-ins are herbs, olives, tomatoes, caramelized onions or cheese. You can fold any focaccia toppings into your dough, or just push them in from the top when you dimple the dough before baking.

If you're a bread lover, try this focaccia recipe and see how easy it is. I've got step by step photos and a video tutorial in this post. And if you've never had focaccia bread, then you're really in for a treat.

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Equipment
• More bread recipes
• Recipe

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour - I do all of my baking with all-purpose flour and it works in this recipe.
• sugar - the sugar feeds the yeast in this recipe
• salt - salt brings out the flavor in the dough. Don't skip it.
• instant yeast - there is no need to proof instant yeast, just add it in with the flour.
• olive oil - Use a really nice quality olive oil for the best results. I add the oil in the dough and on top before baking.
• toppings for focaccia bread - use any optional toppings you like. Some ideas are olives, parmesan cheese, dried herbs like rosemary or thyme, sun dried tomatoes or caramelized onions. I'm showing you the base recipe in this post.

Which yeast to use: I use instant yeast in this recipe. If you use active dry yeast you'll need to proof it in warm water first. To do this add the sugar and yeast to the warm water, stir and let sit for 10 minutes, or until frothy. If this doesn't happen, the water was either too hot or cold or the yeast wasn't good anymore. Once your yeast is ready add the oil, flour and salt and proceed with the recipe.

Instructions

To start the dough, mix together the warm water, olive oil, sugar, and salt. Add the flour on top and the yeast on top of that. Mix everything together. I usually do this by hand, stirring the dough with a fork and then kneading for a few minutes once it comes together.

Move to lightly floured counter top and knead the dough until it's smooth, about 4-5 minutes or so. This dough will be pretty soft and a touch sticky. Try not to add too much extra flour.

Cover the dough lightly in oil and set in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for about 30 minutes or so in a warm place.

After the first rise, sprinkle the bottom of a large cast iron pan, a 9 x 13 baking pan, or a baking sheet with semolina or corn meal. Press the dough into the pan until it touches the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Using your fingertips, push straight down into the dough, making little divots or dimples in the dough. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with some sea salt and herbs if you want.  This is where you would also add in any optional toppings to your focaccia bread.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown.

Let cool for a few minutes and then slice it up into squares. Use as a side for dinner or for sandwiches.

Equipment

I've made this dough by hand and by using my stand mixer, it works well both ways. To bake, I like a large cast iron pan, a 9 x13 baking dish for tall fluffy bread, or a cookie sheet for thinner bread.

More bread recipes

• Quick + Easy Brioche Style Buns
• White Sandwich Bread
• Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Recipe

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

This post was originally posted on November 16, 2018 . Updated January 19, 2022 to provide clearer recipe information and nutritional information.

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