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.
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This recipe was first posted May, 2019.
My Italian Fiance LOVED this! He told me how “focaccia was really hard to master”… Thanks to this recipe – I did it the first try! It was too much basil and oregano and salt but it was easy to scrape off and turned out AMAZING! THANK YOU!!!
You are so welcome!! Thank you for trying it & for letting me know! Happy you both liked it!
I’ve made this focaccia bread about 10 times now – it is SO EASY & ALWAYS a hit! Thank you for sharing!
Glad to share 🙂 I am so happy it’s always a hit! Thank you!!
I love this recipe! It is so easy!! My family loves the bread so much. So much better than store bought bread
I am so glad you do! Thank you for letting me know what you thought!
I am going to make this and include sun dried tomatoes. If I sprinkletoppings before pressing down the dough, hoping that will get some of THE toppings deep INto the bread
Sun dried tomatoes would be good! Hope you like it!
The beSt! I tried numerous focACcia recipes and keep coming back to this one. Appreciate your posting it for others to enjoy. It is now my Go to! Will be checking out your other recipes.
Yay!! I hope you like other ones you try! Thank you!
I am looking to double the match amd was wondering if i need to make in two separate bowls or if i can make in one and divide into two at some point in the recipe. Thank you!
You should be fine making it in one & dividing it 🙂
This was my first time baking bread and it was much easier than I anticipated it to be. It is also so nice to look it, very presentable. absolutely delicious. Tasted a lot like a deep dish pizza crust haha. My three year old and husband ate it up at dinner! Thank you!
Yay! Love to hear that! Thank you for letting me know 😉
I Am about to make the Dough but i dont have all the spice availabLe can i use Italian Seasoning instead???
You sure could 😉
Loved this bread! Its so easy to make and it turns out so Soft and fluffy. I topped it eith dried oregano, Garlic and onion powder aS well as fresh Minced garlic. Tastes delicious with butter or cream cheese and by itself. Really happy With this recipe and i will be making it again for friends and family.
Sounds delicious! Wish I had a load made! Thanks for sharing that!
I have made this bread twice now. The trick seemed to be in mixing the dough while pouring in the WATER so that the dough forms nicely. I let it rest in the fridge for 8 hours and baked it for 23 minutes! If you WOULD like the bread a little less oily…pour out the excess olive oil immediately after you remove the bread from the oven. It tasted fantastic!