Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe

Our easy-to-make Focaccia Bread is a delicious treat your whole family will love! Soft and fluffy, topped with flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary leaves, this chewy Italian flatbread will make a delicious addition to just about any occasion.

You don’t need special baking skills to make this delicious focaccia bread. Whether you’re a seasoned or beginning bread maker, you’ll love how easy it is to make our rosemary focaccia bread recipe.

Made with simple ingredients, our easy focaccia bread recipe is one of my favorite bread recipes. I’ve been making this Italian bread since the early days of my cooking career when my adopted Nonna taught me this foolproof recipe.

If you like making homemade bread, make sure to try our homemade Naan Bread and Pita Bread recipes.

Ingredients to make Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our easy homemade focaccia bread recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Can I add other ingredients to the Focaccia Bread?

Absolutely. I’m partial to fresh rosemary, but you can use any of your favorite fresh herbs to make the recipe.

You can also top the flatbread with cheery tomatoes, caramelized onions, asparagus, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or shredded parmesan cheese.

If you don’t have flaky sea salt on hand, you can substitute coarse sea salt or kosher salt. If you use fine sea salt or table salt, reduce the amount by half. 

How to make Italian Focaccia Bread

• Add the warm water (about 110 degrees F) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook (or a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon), and stir to combine.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Briefly stir to mix the yeast with the water.
• Let the yeast mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
• Set the mixer to low speed, and gradually add the all-purpose flour, olive oil, and salt to the bowl.

• Increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing the focaccia dough for 5 minutes.
  *If the dough is too sticky, add an additional ¼ cup flour.
• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and shape it into a ball. Add a light coating of olive oil to a large bowl, then place the dough ball in the bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let the dough rise.
  *Place the bowl in a warm place (free of drafts) for the first rise. It should take 45-60 minutes or until it has nearly doubled in size.
• Turn the dough onto a floured work surface.
• Roll it out into a ½-inch thick rectangle or large circle. Cover the dough with a damp towel. The second rise will take about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Place the dough on a large baking sheet ( or 9 x 13-inch baking pan) lined with parchment paper, and press it into the bottom of the pan. Use your fingers to make deep indentations over the entire surface of the dough.
• Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the top of the dough, then sprinkle with the fresh rosemary leaves and flaky sea salt.
• Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
• Remove the pan from the oven, and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

For a crisper, browned bottom, place the dough directly on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Serve this delicious focaccia bread with a drizzle of olive oil or marinara sauce for dipping, and watch the smiles around your table.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat focaccia bread in the oven to restore its texture.

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