Rosemary Focaccia

Our Rosemary Focaccia bread recipe is restaurant quality, kissed with fragrant rosemary and infused with extra virgin olive oil. This artisanal bread has with chewy texture inside and golden brown crust.

The word "focaccia" may sound fancy and intimidating, but it's not. It's actually very easy to make. It just requires a few simple ingredients and a little patience (as you wait for the dough to rise). The olive oil gives this Italian flat bread a rich flavor and a moist, slightly dense bite. You can shape it by hand and customize it with your favorite flavors (like our Pickled Pepper Focaccia).

Keith's focaccia recipe is time-tested and incredible. He learned it from an Italian chef mentor, and he made it every day for years in a restaurant. It's the perfect side dish to Easy Homemade Meatballs, Pasta Pomodoro, or Linguine alle Vongole. We like to slice it thickly and use it for sandwiches the next day.

Hint: One batch of this stuff, and you will find it hard to eat store-bought bread again.

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Top tip
• Variations
• Storage
• FAQ
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• Rosemary Focaccia recipe

Ingredients

• YEAST: active dry yeast
• FLOUR: AP flour (all purpose flour)
• SUGAR: granulated sugar
• SALT: use flaky sea salt or kosher salt
• WARM WATER: warm water (110-115°F)
• ROSEMARY: fresh rosemary sprigs
• OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford

*see recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Proof the Yeast: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine water, sugar and yeast and mix. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to activate yeast (it will look frothy)
2. Knead the Dough: Combine flour and salt. Add to liquid mixture and knead until dough forms and pulls away from bowl. Roll onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and just slightly tacky.
3. Add Olive Oil: Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to a large bowl and roll dough to coat.
4. First Dough Rise: Cover bowl with towel and sit in a warm place until dough has doubled (about an hour).
5. Spread Dough Into Sheet Pan: Pour half of the oil onto a 13" X 9" sheet pan and transfer dough to pan. Spread out with finger tips filling dough into corners.
6. Add More Olive Oil: Drizzle remaining oil on top of dough (this will seem like too much oil, however this will be absorbed into the dough) and press finger tips into dough to form dimples into dough (see photo).
7. Sprinkle with Rosemary: Remove leaves from stems of rosemary and roughly chop and spread evenly on dough.
8. Second Dough Rise: Allow to sit until oven is preheated to 425°F.
9. Bake: Sprinkle top of dough with kosher salt and bake for 20-25 minutes until bread is golden brown.
10. Allow the Bread to Cool: Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
11. Serve: This bread is great dipped into a dish of your best olive oil.

Top tip

Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford! Olive oil is a key ingredient to focaccia bread, so you want to make sure you start with a good oil that is fresh and fruity, with some bitterness.

Variations

• PARMESAN: freshly grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top before baking or mixed into the dough gives focaccia another layer of flavor
• PEPPERS: hot or sweet peppers add spice and flavor. Try our Pickled Pepper Focaccia Bread recipe.
• GARLIC: mix in some minced garlic for more depth.

Storage

• Store at room Temperature: wrap sliced focaccia in several layers of plastic wrap, then place it in an airtight container for up to 2 days
• Freeze: wrap bread in plastic wrap, then in airtight container or freezer bags. Store for up to 1 month.
• Reheat: in a 375°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, in the microwave, or in the toaster. Defrost frozen bread to room temperature before reheating.
• Do Not Refrigerate. Refrigerating focaccia bread will cause the starch to crystalize

FAQ

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