The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe: Fluffy, Crisp, and Irresistible

Focaccia bread elevates ordinary meals into extraordinary culinary experiences with its rustic charm and incredible versatility.

This Italian classic boasts a golden, crispy exterior that gives way to a soft, pillowy interior bursting with flavor.

The dough itself becomes a canvas for creative ingredients, absorbing herbs and olive oil like a delicious sponge.

Its dimpled surface captures pools of rich, fragrant oil that tantalize the senses and promise a mouthwatering bite.

Crafting this bread requires patience and a gentle touch, allowing the dough to develop complex flavors and textures.

Home bakers can easily master this delightful recipe with a few simple techniques and quality ingredients.

Your kitchen will soon be filled with an irresistible aroma that beckons everyone to the table.

Reasons to Bake Focaccia Bread Right Now

• Elevate Your Bread Game: This focaccia recipe transforms simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality bread with minimal effort, making you feel like a professional baker.
• Flavor Explosion in Every Bite: The combination of herbs like oregano and basil, plus sea salt, creates a robust Mediterranean-style taste that elevates the bread from basic to extraordinary.
• Hands-Off Fermentation Magic: The long refrigeration process develops deep, complex flavors while requiring almost zero active cooking time, perfect for busy home cooks who want maximum taste with minimal work.
• Texture Wonderland: The technique of creating finger dimples ensures a crispy exterior with a soft, pillowy interior, delivering a satisfying sensory experience in every slice that makes this bread irresistibly addictive.

Must-Haves to Start Focaccia Bread

• All-Purpose Flour: Soft wheat flour that creates the foundation of the focaccia with a light and airy texture, ideal for bread making.
• Active Dry Yeast: Essential for bread rising, helps develop flavor and creates soft, pillowy bread structure.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and controls yeast fermentation for perfect bread development.

• Warm Water: Activates yeast and helps develop gluten, creating smooth and elastic dough consistency.
• Olive Oil: Adds rich flavor, helps create crispy exterior, and provides moisture to the bread.

• Oregano, Basil: Classic Mediterranean herbs that provide aromatic and traditional Italian bread flavor.
• Sea Salt: Adds finishing touch with crunchy texture and enhances overall bread taste, perfect for sprinkling on top.

Instructions for Golden Focaccia Bread

Step 1: Create Dough Base

Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually pour warm water and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Step 2: Prepare Baking Pan

Drizzle olive oil into an 8-inch cake pan, ensuring complete interior coverage. Remove chilled dough and gently shape into a ball.

Step 3: First Dough Rise

Place dough ball in the center of the prepared pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours until dough expands and nearly fills the pan.

Step 4: Preheat Oven

Set oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) during the final stage of dough rising.

Step 5: Shape And Season Focaccia

• Dried oregano
• Dried basil
• Sea salt

Step 6: Bake Focaccia

Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly before serving.

Smart Moves While Baking Focaccia Bread

• Chill for Complexity: Refrigerate the dough overnight to develop deeper, more sophisticated flavors and improve texture.
• Oil Up Generously: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for authentic Italian taste and create a crispy, golden crust.
• Master the Dimpling: Press fingers firmly and evenly into the dough to create signature focaccia pockets that capture herbs and salt.
• Temperature Matters: Ensure water is warm (not hot) to activate yeast without killing it, which helps perfect dough rising.
• Herb Selection Hack: Fresh herbs will elevate the focaccia's flavor profile, so choose aromatic, high-quality oregano and basil for maximum taste.

Handling and Heating Leftover Focaccia Bread

• Refrigeration: Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Keep at room temperature to maintain its soft texture.
• Freezing: Slice the bread, place parchment paper between layers, and freeze in a sealed freezer bag for up to 1 month. Preserve its delicious taste and texture by removing excess air from the bag.
• Reheating: Warm slices in a preheated oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Restore crispness by placing directly on the oven rack or using a baking sheet, which helps revive the bread's original golden-brown crust and soft interior.

Sidekicks That Shine with Focaccia Bread

• Pair with Robust Red Wine: Complement the herbal focaccia's rich flavors with a medium-bodied Italian Chianti or Sangiovese, which balances the bread's olive oil and herb notes perfectly.
• Match with Creamy Dips: Serve alongside garlic aioli, roasted red pepper hummus, or herb-infused olive oil for an extra layer of deliciousness that enhances the focaccia's texture and taste.
• Create a Charcuterie Companion: Arrange thin slices of prosciutto, salami, and aged parmesan cheese next to the warm focaccia, creating a rustic Mediterranean-style appetizer board that highlights the bread's aromatic qualities.
• Elevate with Fresh Salad: Pair the focaccia with a crisp arugula salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette, providing a light, tangy contrast to the bread's dense and herbaceous profile.

Topping Ideas and Variations for Focaccia Bread

• Herbed Garlic Focaccia: Enhance the classic recipe by adding minced garlic and chopped fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme directly into the dough. Sprinkle extra garlic powder and chopped herbs on top before baking for an intense aromatic experience.
• Mediterranean Olive Focaccia: Fold chopped kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes into the dough before the final rise. Scatter additional olives and crumbled feta cheese across the surface for a tangy Mediterranean-inspired bread.
• Roasted Vegetable Focaccia: Mix roasted bell peppers, caramelized onions, and zucchini chunks into the dough before the final proofing. Top with roasted vegetables and a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a vegetable-packed version that's both hearty and flavorful.
• Parmesan Herb Focaccia: Incorporate grated parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning into the dough. Sprinkle extra parmesan and dried herbs on top before baking to create a rich, cheesy bread with deep herbal notes.

Focaccia Bread Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 40 reviews

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Silky Italian focaccia bread brings Mediterranean warmth to your kitchen with its golden, herb-infused crust and pillowy interior. Dimpled surfaces drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary promise a delightful sensory experience you’ll savor with each delectable bite.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

Seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (Maldon salt)

Leavening Agent:

• 1 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a mixing vessel, whisking thoroughly to distribute ingredients evenly.
2. Pour warm water into the flour mixture, stirring until a soft, tacky dough forms with a shaggy texture.
3. Encase the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest and develop flavor in the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours, with a maximum of 24 hours.
4. After chilling, gently transform the dough into a rounded shape using delicate hand movements.
5. Coat the interior of an 8-inch cake pan generously with olive oil, ensuring complete surface coverage.
6. Transfer the dough ball to the center of the prepared pan, then seal tightly with plastic wrap.
7. Let the dough proof at ambient temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until it expands to nearly fill the pan’s dimensions.
8. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) during the final stages of dough rising.
9. Remove the plastic wrap and liberally drizzle remaining olive oil across the dough’s surface.
10. Create signature focaccia dimples by pressing fingertips firmly into the dough, reaching to the pan’s bottom and covering the entire surface.
11. Sprinkle dried oregano, basil, and sea salt evenly over the textured dough.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the focaccia achieves a golden-brown color and crisp exterior.

Notes

• Slow fermentation in the refrigerator develops deeper, more complex flavors in the bread.
• Allowing the dough to rise at room temperature creates a light, airy texture with signature focaccia dimples.
• Use a cake pan for perfect shaping and even browning of the bread’s crispy exterior.
• Generous olive oil helps create a crisp bottom and rich, golden-brown crust.
• Fingertip dimpling is crucial for authentic focaccia texture and olive oil distribution.
• Fresh herbs and sea salt transform this simple bread into a gourmet experience.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Snacks, Appetizer, Dinner
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 0g
• Sodium: 400mg
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8.5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg