Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe

Easy Focaccia Bread is a soft and chewy bread. This homemade focaccia recipe is perfect as an appetizer or with your favorite meal.

This post was updated from 2015 to improve reader experience.

Homemade Focaccia Bread uses simple ingredients and is easy enough for the beginner or the avid bread baker.

This Easy Focaccia Bread will impress the socks off of your guests.

It’s soft and tender and perfect for the fanciest charcuterie tray or simple pasta dinner.

What is Focaccia Bread?

Focaccia is a soft and chewy type of Italian bread. It’s not a pizza or flat bread but isn’t a tall loaf either.

Homemade Focaccia Bread Ingredients

Like many Italian bread varieties, this Focaccia recipe uses simple and minimal ingredients.

Traditionally Focaccia is made with Parmesan Reggiano and rosemary. It’s also our go-to combination.

• All-Purpose Flour – You can use bleached or unbleached
• Salt – We used kosher salt but any salt is acceptable
• Yeast – Dry yeast also called Dry Active, Instant yeast, or Rapid Rise will work in this recipe
• Sugar – White granulated sugar
• Herbs – We used rosemary, thyme, and oregano
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan Cheese – We prefer Parmesan Reggiano

Focaccia Bread Recipe Variations

Focaccia can be topped with a variety of toppings ranging from rosemary and sea salt to different types of cheese, herbs, vegetables, and even fruit. Here are a few ideas.

• Cheese – Use romano or asiago just as long as it’s a hard cheese that can be grated.
• Sun-dried tomatoes – chop and include some in the bread as well as on the top. Sun-dried tomatoes can burn under a high oven temperature. Therefore, watch them while they bake.
• Olives – Chop black or a mixed variety and include them in the bread and on the top. Make sure you drain them so you don’t add a lot of liquid.
• Herbs – We used fresh herbs but dried ones will work in this recipe. You don’t have to use all of the ones that we did, (rosemary, thyme, and oregano). Add sage, basil, or your favorite herb.
  • You can also use dried seasoning blends such as Italian Seasoning, Herbs de Provence, or a Mediterranean Spice blend.

How to serve Easy Focaccia

The first time I made this bread I took it to a gathering of friends. Let’s just say they were impressed! Here are may favorite ways to serve it.

Appetizer Course

• Sliced with dips.
  • Olive oil dusted with cracked pepper and parmesan cheese
  • Pesto
  • Marinara
• Add it to a charcuterie tray loaded with Italian meats, cheeses, and anti-pasta ingredients such as olives and blistered tomatoes. Here are some ideas to make your own cheese tray.

Dinner (main course)

• Focaccia is great with Pasta dinners. The soft crumb is perfect for getting the last of the pasta sauce such as Shrimp Cavatappi, Bucatini Cacio e Papio, or Italian Goulash.
• Soups such as Tomato Florentine Soup, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, or Cheesy Potato Soup.
• Sandwiches are John’s favorite way to use a leftover loaf of Focaccia Bread. He says ANY kind of sandwich but especially our Prime Rib Sandwich and Proscuitto Sandwich.

We love this easy Focaccia recipe and have made it several times. If you make it we hope you’ll let us know!

More easy bread recipes!

• Italian Bread Recipe
• Batard Bread
• Rustic Loaf Recipe
• Spelt Bread Recipe

We LOVE baking bread! You can find all of our bread recipes here!

Don’t have time to make it now? Pin it for later!

Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe

Author: Hostess At Heart

Delicious Focaccia Bread is a soft and chewy bread that is easy to make. This homemade focaccia bread is perfect as an appetizer or with your favorite Meal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe CollectSaved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Rising and resting time 1 hr 15 mins

Total Time 2 hrs

Course Bread

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword: Focaccia, Italian Bread, Traditional Focaccia

Servings: 18

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 ½ tsp dried rosemary divided
• 1 tbsp Olive oil Plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated and divided

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl or cup, combine milk, yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit until it becomes foamy (5 to 10 minutes)
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon of the rosemary, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan Reggiano.
• Mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then add the milk-yeast mixture.
• *Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, turning once to coat both sides. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until it doubles in size (1 to 1-1/2 hours).
• Punch down dough and place on a well greased rimmed baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle or any shape to your liking (oval, square, or rectangle). To give the dough the dimples effect, use your fingertips, pushing gently all over the surface of the dough.
• Brush generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese, remaining 3/4 teaspoon of rosemary, and sea salt. Allow dough to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown in a preheated 450° F oven with the rack set to the middle position.

Notes

*Mixer fit with a dough hook can be used instead of hand kneading.

Nutrition

Serving: 18gCalories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 182mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 49IUCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!