focaccia

Focaccia bread made at home with olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary. Bakes up in under 2 hours, yields a crisp crust and chewy center.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 2 1

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 210

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

dough

3.5 xícara wheat flour
1.5 xícara warm water
0.25 xícara olive oil
1 colher de sopa sugar
2 colher de chá sea salt
1 sachê (10g) dry yeast

topping

3 colher de sopa olive oil
2 colher de chá sea salt flakes
2 colher de sopa fresh rosemary chopped

Method

Dough preparation

Pour warm water into a big bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar. Stir gently and let it sit for 5–6 minutes until you see foam on top. If nothing happens, your yeast might be expired.
Add flour and salt to the bowl. Drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix with a spoon or your hand until it forms a messy dough. It will be sticky, and that's good!
Scrape down the sides, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set somewhere warm. Let it rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.

Shaping and topping

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a 9x13-inch pan (or similar). Scoop the dough into the pan. Rub a little olive oil on your fingers and gently stretch and press the dough toward the edges. No need to be perfect—it will relax as it rests.
Cover and let the dough rise a second time for 20–30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220°C (428°F).

Finishing and baking

With oiled fingers, lightly press into the dough to make deep dimples across the surface. This keeps the focaccia airy and holds the toppings.
Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil all over, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, and scatter fresh rosemary on top.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 22–25 minutes. Focaccia should look golden and feel firm at the edges.
Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. If you want the bottom extra crisp, I sometimes lift the loaf from the pan and finish it right on the oven rack for 3 more minutes.

Notes

My family always had focaccia on the table whenever there was olive oil to show off. I still bake it because the crust is better than anything I can get at the bakery — thick, chewy, and salty.

Tips for making focaccia at home

This dough is sticky on purpose, so don’t add extra flour. I always dip my fingers in olive oil before handling the dough — makes life easier and boosts the flavor right into the crust. If your kitchen is cold, set the dough bowl near a still-warm oven to help it rise faster.

Don’t skip dimpling the dough just before baking — those little craters give you flavor pockets and keep big air bubbles from making the bread uneven. I use my whole hand and press right down to the pan, not just a fingertip poke.

Last thing: I sometimes add an ice cube to the oven floor to create a bit of steam — it helps keep the focaccia moist inside with an even crust, just like a real bakery loaf.

Swaps and add-ins

If you’re low on rosemary, try thyme or fresh oregano — both hold up in the heat. Sliced olives or sun-dried tomatoes work nicely too, but add them after the first rise or they make the dough heavy. Don’t sub whole wheat flour for all the white flour or your focaccia will turn out dense and a bit sad. You can swap up to 1 cup for a little nutty flavor, but I wouldn’t push it further.

Storage notes

Leftovers keep at room temp for one day wrapped in a towel. After that, slice and freeze whatever’s left. Reheat straight from frozen in a toaster oven or regular oven for 5 minutes — it comes back to life with that fresh-baked crust.