focaccia

Focaccia bread with olive oil and rosemary—crisp edges, pillowy middle, and ready in just over an hour. Real flavor from a simple homemade dough.

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Total Time 1 21

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 310

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Dough

3.5 xícara wheat flour
1 colher de chá sugar
2 colher de chá instant dry yeast
1.5 xícara warm water
0.25 xícara olive oil
2 colher de chá salt

Topping

3 colher de sopa olive oil
1 colher de sopa fresh rosemary
1 colher de chá coarse salt

Method

Dough preparation

Add warm water, sugar, and yeast to a large bowl. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Add wheat flour and salt. Pour in olive oil and mix by hand or with a spoon until you get a shaggy dough.
Knead in the bowl for 2–3 minutes until everything just comes together. No need for a perfectly smooth dough—stop when it’s cohesive.
Cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 45–50 minutes, or until doubled in size. (If your kitchen is cold, stick the bowl in the oven with just the light on—it’s my go-to shortcut.)

Shaping and topping

Generously coat a baking pan (about 22x32 cm or 9x13 in) with olive oil.
Transfer the dough to the oiled pan. Lightly oil your fingers, then press and stretch the dough to fill the corners. Don’t worry if it shrinks back—let it rest 5 minutes and keep stretching.
Drizzle the dough with olive oil and use your fingers to poke deep dimples all over. Sprinkle fresh rosemary and coarse salt evenly on top.

Baking

Heat the oven to 220°C (428°F).
Bake the focaccia on the middle rack for 25–28 minutes, until golden on top and crisp at the edges.
Let it cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing. (If you want really crisp sides, take it out of the pan and cool on a rack.)

Notes

I make focaccia when I want homemade bread but don’t want to babysit a dough. The olive oil does half the heavy lifting for you — you end up with those crisp, golden edges and a pillowy center without needing fancy bread skills.

Tips from my kitchen

Be generous with the olive oil. It might look like too much, but that’s what gives you the chewy crust and keeps the crumb moist. I always pour a little extra around the edges of the dough before it goes in the oven — it fries up the sides in the best way.

If your dough resists stretching in the pan, set a timer for five minutes and walk away. The gluten relaxes and you can easily press it out the rest of the way.

Dimples aren’t just for show! Really press your fingers in — not quite to the bottom, but deep. Those little craters pool the olive oil and flavor.

Easy variations

You can swap rosemary for thyme, sage, or even thinly sliced red onion. Cherry tomatoes work too, but press them in firmly or they’ll roll off after baking.

I don’t recommend going all whole wheat — it comes out dense. If you want, substitute up to one cup of whole wheat flour for the fluffiest result with a bit of nuttiness.

Storage that actually works

The crust is best the day you bake it, but leftover focaccia will keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. To refresh, pop slices in a hot oven for a few minutes. Avoid the microwave—it makes it chewy, not in a good way.