The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe Ever, Step By Step (5 Ingredients) by Jan Mostrom

Focaccia bread has taken over TikTok, so when my kids came home for the holidays asking me to make some I agreed to try my first batch. I needed to make it the same day, but most focaccia recipes take eight to 24 hours – until I found this one!

This three-hour focaccia bread recipe comes together so beautifully, and was so easy! But you do need a stand mixer with a dough hook to make this Italian bread super simple.

I decided to add fresh rosemary to the dough and a bit of flaky sea salt on top. When the Italian bread emerged from the oven it smelled so good that no one could wait for dinner to try it. I served the first half of the batch with a olive oil and balsamic dip, and the second with a delicious and creamy vegetarian tortellini soup.

To make this shortcut recipe you will need to gather the following ingredients from your fridge and pantry: cane sugar (you could use granulated sugar), active dry yeast, all-purpose or bread flour, sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil. If you want to fancy it up a bit, grab some sea salt and fresh rosemary.

Baking Tips 

• Temperature is important for the yeast activation, so be sure to stay between 105 and 115 degrees F on a food thermometer.
  

• You can use a food scale to measure out 500 grams of flour.
  

Serve this delicious focaccia bread as a side dish with dinner or as a appetizer. Enjoy!

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 40 minutes plus 2 hours to rise
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
• 2 teaspoons cane sugar
• .25 ounces (1 packet) active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour (500 grams)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for your hands

Optional Ingredients

• flaky sea salt
• chopped fresh rosemary

Here's how to make it: 

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer add water and sugar and mix a bit with a fork.
   
2. Add the packet of yeast into the water mixture and stir again. Set to the side for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the liquid begins to bubble and foam on top. (If the mixture doesn’t foam up discard the whole thing and start again with a new packet of yeast.)
   
   
   
3. Add the flour and salt and mix on low with a dough hook until you have a rough dough.
   
4. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes and your dough is nice and sticky.
   
5. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large bowl and brush it up the sides to coat.
   
6. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and transfer the dough to the oiled large bowl.
   
7. Use your hands to brush the oil on the sides over the top of the dough.
   
8. Cover with plastic or a damp kitchen towel and set to the side to rise to double it’s size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
   
9. Add two more tablespoons of oil to a 13x9-inch baking dish. Using clean hands spread the oil all over the sides and bottom.
   
10. With your already oiled hands, pull the bottom of your dough up and over on itself, rotating the bowl and doing it again four more times until the dough is a ball.
    
11. Transfer the dough to the prepped baking pan.
    
12. Press the dough to the edges of the pan, wait a moment and press it back again to the sides. Use your fingers to press holes into the dough and then cover again with the plastic or towel and set to rise for 45 minutes.
    
13. When you are 30 minutes into the rise time, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. When the rise is finished add your last 2 tablespoons of olive over the top of the dough and sprinkle the rosemary and flaky salt, if desired. Oil your fingers again and poke the holes again in the top of dough making dimples over the whole loaf. (If you don't have fresh rosemary, you could use dried rosemary.)
    
14. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top. Serve with your favorite meal or as an appetizer with olive oil and balsamic. Enjoy! Store the bread in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
    

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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