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Homemade Focaccia Bread with Herbs, Garlic, and Olive Oil! A simple yet delicious Italian bread recipe for every occasion.
What Is Focaccia – Italian Bread Favorite
Focaccia is one of the most popular and beloved Italian bread recipes, a real classic. It is an airy flatbread, full of flavor, easy to make, and loved by everyone.
One of the most recognizable characteristics of this bread are the little dimples! They reduce the air in the dough and prevent the focaccia from rising too quickly.
Have you ever wondered how to make those dimples? It turns out it’s super easy: Press all of your fingers a few times deep into the unbaked focaccia dough!
That’s it, all the magic. You can see exactly how to do this further down in the step-by-step instructions. 😉
What I do love about this flatbread is that it’s super simple to make with minimal effort. It’s also an excellent recipe for baking beginners.
Herb, Garlic, and Olive Oil Topping
Surely you already know the classics: Focaccia marinated with fresh rosemary or kosher salt? I’ll show you a slightly different variation, which leaves this bread with much more flavor and some “yummy, how delicious” moments. 😉
I love to top it with a mixture of dried Italian herbs, minced garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. Spread the focaccia with it right before you put it in the oven, and you will be rewarded with a flavorful result.
You can use any dried Italian herbs. I do like to use a mixture of rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano. The only rule you need to stick to is: Use dried herbs and not fresh ones. Since they are baked at a very high temperature, fresh herbs would burn.
What To Serve With Focaccia?
Almost everything, actually. But it tastes especially delicious with antipasti, pesto rosso, grilled vegetables, or Italian summer salads.
I also like to bring it to barbecues during the summer. By the way, you can also use it to make sandwiches or focaccia pizza.
Aline’s Tip: Add a dash of Aceto Balsamico cream to the olive oil for dipping, simply delicious!
How To Make This Focaccia Bread Recipe
This step-by-step guide will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a baking beginner!
The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Mix warm water, instant yeast, and sugar in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Mix all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add water-yeast-sugar mixture and olive oil.
- Knead for 5-10 minutes at low speed until you have a smooth dough.
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- Grease a large bowl with 1 tsp olive oil, place the dough in it, cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, mix olive oil, garlic, and herbs for the topping in a small bowl and set aside.
- Punch the dough to deflate and place it on a with parchment paper lined baking sheet. Stretch and flatten into a rectangle.
- Push all your fingers a few times deep into the dough for the typical focaccia look.
- Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise for another 30 minutes. → To make this Italian bread even crispier, feel free to brush the parchment paper with some olive oil.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Spread with the topping. The easiest way to do this is by using a basting brush.
- If you like, sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
- Bake if for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. → Turn 180° in the halftime to allow an even browning. *Most ordinary ovens we have at home bake unevenly. Often one side is much hotter, so it happens that one side of the bread/cake, or whatever you bake, is darker than the other. 😉
Recipe FAQ
How long does this Focaccia bread stay fresh? It’s best eaten the same day you prepare it. But you can store it for one day in a plastic bag or Tupperware, reheat before serving.
Can I freeze this bread? Yes, preferably immediately after baking, as soon as it has cooled. Cut it into small pieces before freezing so you don’t have to defrost everything at once. Place the bread in a zip bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost for 5-10 minutes in the preheated oven (390°F/200°C).
Can I omit the garlic? For sure! Top the dough only with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and herbs. For the classic rosemary focaccia bread, use a handful of dried rosemary and omit the other herbs.
More Bread Recipes You’ll Love:
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📖 Recipe
Focaccia Bread
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Ingredients
Dough
- ⅔ cup warm water
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Topping
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- ½ tbsp dried Italian herbs (rosemary, sage, basil, oregano, thyme)
- sea salt flakes optional
Instructions
- Mix warm water, instant yeast, and sugar in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Mix all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add water-yeast-sugar mixture and olive oil and knead for 5-10 minutes at low speed until you have a smooth dough.
- Grease a large bowl with 1 tsp olive oil, place the dough in it, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, mix olive oil, garlic, and herbs for the topping in a small bowl and set aside.
- Punch the dough to deflate and place it on a with parchment paper lined baking tray. Stretch and flatten into a rectangle. Push all your fingers a few times deep into the dough for the typical focaccia look. Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Spread with the topping and sprinkle with sea salt flakes (optional). Bake if for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. → Turn 180° in the halftime to allow an even browning.
Notes
- Keeps fresh: Focaccia does taste best when fresh. Freeze leftovers.
- Freeze: Cut the focaccia in small pieces, place them in a zip bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost for 5-10 minutes in the preheated oven (390°F/200°C).
- Variations: Omit the garlic or only use rosemary and olive oil for a change.
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Easy and tasty. My only problem is that the dough stuck to my damp cloth and the dough sunk. I think it made it a little “tougher” texture. Next time I’ll use greased plastic.
Hey Marjie, a greased plastic wrap will work too! I hope it will turn out better the next time! 😁
Just perfect recipe. I added olives to dough. Tastes wonderful
So happy you loved the recipe, Varsha! 💕