Homemade Focaccia Recipe
Hands down, this is the best focaccia bread recipe we've ever made! Topped with flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary, it's golden and airy with a crispy bottom. Easy to make. Vegan.
How to Make the Best Homemade Focaccia
There’s something truly special about homemade focaccia—the way it fills your kitchen with the irresistible aroma of fresh bread and olive oil, the satisfying dimpled surface studded with flaky sea salt and fragrant rosemary. This classic Italian bread is surprisingly simple to make, requiring just a handful of pantry staples and a little patience while the dough rises.
What sets this focaccia apart is its incredible texture: golden and crispy on the bottom, pillowy soft inside, with an airy crumb that comes from giving the dough time to develop. While you can make this in as little as two hours, the real magic happens when you let the dough cold-ferment in the refrigerator for up to three days. This slow rise deepens the flavor and creates those beautiful, irregular air pockets that make artisan bread so special.
Whether you’re serving it alongside a bowl of soup, using it as the base for a gourmet sandwich, or simply enjoying it warm from the oven with a drizzle of good olive oil, this focaccia is sure to become a staple in your bread-baking repertoire.
Homemade Focaccia
Hands down, this is the best focaccia bread recipe we've ever made! Topped with flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary, it's golden and airy with a crispy bottom. Easy to make. Vegan.
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
Toppings
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, fine salt and yeast. Pour in the lukewarm water and stir with a fork, or spatula, until all the flour is incorporated. You should have a loose ball of focaccia dough.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl to tidy, and drizzle the top and sides of the focaccia dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil, spreading it under and over the top of the dough ball.
- Cover the bowl, and let this rise for 1½–2 hours on the counter (until doubled), or for 24-72 hours in the refrigerator for the best flavor and airy texture.
Shaping and Rising
- Pour 2-3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom and sides of a 10×14-inch Detroit-style metal pan. Or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- With an oiled hand loosen the edges of the dough from the bowl, and do a set of stretch and folds: use your fingers to pull the dough at the edge of the bowl, up and over and across itself, then turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat this 6 times, until you have a ball.
- Pour the focaccia dough ball into the generously oiled pan. Let the dough rise uncovered and stretch out over the pan until doubled, roughly 45 minutes. Or allow 2-4 hours at room temperature for the best airy texture and flavor.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (or 400°F convection).
- Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the dough, and with oiled fingers, poke holes straight down into the dough, creating deep dimples, gently nudging the dough towards the edges. If the dough resists, let it rest for 5 minutes, and resume. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and rosemary.
- Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until puffed, golden brown, and the bottom is crisp and golden. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Bread flour has a higher protein content that will result in a chewier texture. You can also blend all-purpose and bread flours.
- For cold fermentation, let the dough rise in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours for the best flavor development.
- Always use butter with ceramic pans to prevent sticking.
