We love homemade bread, and one our favorite recipes is today’s homemade Focaccia bread.
This recipe bakes up with a crisp, golden crust and a tender, airy middle, perfect for dipping, sandwiches, or devouring (it’s so delicious!). Not only is this recipe simple, but an easy overnight chill builds flavor and bubbles, then olive oil, oregano, basil, and flaky sea salt finish it beautifully.
Serve this recipe on its own or with some our favorites like Tomato Basil Soup, Baked Ziti and Fettuccine Alfredo.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- So much flavor. Overnight dough for big flavor with very little hands on time.
- Nooks and crannies. Deep olive oil dimples that bake crisp and delicious.
- Make ahead friendly and great warm or at room temperature.
Focaccia Bread Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (2 cups): Forms the gluten structure for a chewy yet tender crumb.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Seasons the dough and balances the olive oil and herbs.
- Instant yeast (1 1/4 teaspoons): Gives a reliable rise during the chill and the final proof.
- Warm water (1 cup): Hydrates the dough so it mixes quickly and stays soft and sticky.
- Olive oil (1/4 cup): Pooled in the pan and drizzled on top, it creates a crisp, flavorful crust and those signature dimpled pockets.
- Oregano (1 teaspoon): Adds classic Italian aroma that perfumes each bite.
- Dried basil (2 teaspoons): Brings gentle herbal sweetness to the crust.
- Flaky sea salt, Maldon if you like (1 teaspoon): Finishes with crunchy pops of salt that brighten the bread.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
DOUGH. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water, and stir to form a soft and sticky dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
CHILL, SHAPE + REST. After the dough has chilled, gently shape the dough into a ball with your hands. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan and spread it to cover the interior surfaces of the pan.
Place the ball of dough in the center of the pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has expanded to nearly fill the cake pan.
BREAD TOP. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 450. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough, then press your fingers down into the dough, pushing to the bottom of the pan.
BAKE. Repeat until the entire surface of the dough is covered in deep dimples. Sprinkle with the oregano, basil and sea salt. Bake 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Keep the dough sticky, resist adding extra flour, the hydration makes the crumb airy.
- Oil the pan generously and dimple to the bottom so olive oil collects in little wells.
- Let it rise until it nearly fills the pan before baking for the best lift.
- Other spices: Rosemary, Fresh or roasted garlic, olive slices, sun-dried tomatoes, shredded cheese (parmesan would probably work best!)
- For extra crunch, bake on the lower third rack and let it rest 5 minutes before lifting out.
- You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours, so you can bake it when it’s convenient for you.
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt I used Maldon salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water, and stir to form a soft and sticky dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- After the dough has chilled, gently shape the dough into a ball with your hands. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan and spread it to cover the interior surfaces of the pan. Place the ball of dough in the center of the pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has expanded to nearly fill the cake pan.
- Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 450. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough, then press your fingers down into the dough, pushing to the bottom of the pan. Repeat until the entire surface of the dough is covered in deep dimples. Sprinkle with the oregano, basil and sea salt.
- Bake 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Make ahead and storage, cool completely, wrap, and keep at room temp 1 day; rewarm at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes; freeze up to 2 months and thaw wrapped.
We like to wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then in a freezer-safe storage bag. This can be stored for up 4-6 weeks in the freezer.
More Like This
Bread Recipes
White Bread
3 hrs 15 mins
Whole Wheat Bread
3 hrs 15 mins
Easy Sandwich Bread Recipe
3 hrs 50 mins
No Knead Bread
3 hrs 14 mins
Collections
This recipe was first posted May, 2019.
I wish the recipe time had specified there were an additional two hours for the dough to sit. I thought I started the recipe in time but turns out we were not able to eat it with out meal because this was not included in total time.
Thanks for the feedback!! That’s good to realize. Thanks for giving the bread recipe a try!
I love this bread, it comes out beautifully. Everyone in our family loves it and thinks I purchased it not made it myself.
Oh that makes me so happy to hear!! So glad the bread was a hit.
Started this at 7:30 this morning. 5 minute process with few ingredients, fridge n forget. 8 hours later and a couple more ingredients spices and olive oil another 5 minutes. Amazing, first time ever made or tasted focaccia bread. We loved it. Highly recommend. I will be making this very often. Thank you!
Way to go trying a new recipe! That’s so exciting. I’m glad you all loved the bread!
My daughter is 8, she is very interested in baking. We have done brioche many times given that’s her usual favorite. We found this and all I can say is thank you! How easy! 2 min to make the dough at night she can do it by herself and stick it in the fridge and forget it! Then 30 seconds putting oil in a pie plate, go pick the kids up from school when I get back she drizzles it with olive oil pokes the dimples in (her favorite part) and it’s done in 20 min! The flavor is amazing! Cheating hack we bought a truffle infused olive oil dipping oil already flavored. So easy. Every one loves it!
Oh I’m so happy to hear that your daughter is loving to bake at such a young age. And that this recipe has been a hit! Thanks for sharing!
So easy and so good. I let mine proof for about 6 hours and used oregano and rosemary…. it was amazing!
This was amazingly delicious and SO easy. I’ve been (irrationally) intimidated by yeast for years and this recipe was so simple that I couldn’t possibly screw it up. I love the idea of making pizza with it and definitely want to try that next.
This bread is absolutely AMAZING!!!! It’s super easy to make and has such a delicious taste and texture!
I have made this twice . Love it , but both times it has stuck to the pans . Any ideas on what i can do to avoid this or am i doing something wrong ?
So I always rub the bottom of the pan with olive oil. That usually does the job for me. But if you have tried that and it still sticks, you can do the olive oil in the bottom, then use parchment paper on top of that to line the base of the tray. And then add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and spread on top of that.
This was so good! Made it for NYE and it was gone quick! Will make again for sure, super easy, just a long process.
Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad to hear the bread was a hit!
loved this recipe. is there any reason I couldn’t bake it in a loaf pan instead?