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.
This was amazing and so super simple. I topped with basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and grated parm. Will definitely make again and looking forward to playing around with toppings!!!
Mmmm that sounds so yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Planning to try making bread. And I am happy that I find this recipe. I can’t wait to try this soon. Thank you for sharing this 🙂
You’re welcome! You’ll have to let us know how you like it.
Can and how do I use regular yeast in this recipe?
You can use either active or instant yeast for this recipe since the warm water will activate the yeast. I haven’t used other types of yeast besides active and instant for this recipe so I am not sure how it would turn out if you used a different type. I would love to know how it turns out!
Good morning. Love that you give the nutritional information but can you tell me what a serving size is on this bread? How many servings per loaf? Thank you
I just found the answer. Hubby is diabetic so we are very careful with portion control. Can’t wait to try this, thank you
Hope you like it!
Looks so yummy! Can I bake the bread in a sheet pan instead? And what size would be best? Can’t wait to bake this tomorrow!
Yay! I have never tried baking in a sheet pan, but you could certainly give it a try. I’d imagine as long as the pan is at least a half size baking sheet. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out!
A serving size would be one slice of bread and depending on how thick you cut your slices, the Focaccia Bread Recipe would give you roughly 10-12 slices. Hope this helps!
Oh my! The family inhaled this light and fluffy bread! My only suggestion is to DOUBLE it…. it’s soo good!
I agree!! Thank you so much!
Absolutely delicious. Can’t believe how easy this recipe is.
Thank you so much.
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you!!
This recipe is absolutely perfect. Very easy to make, delicious to eat! I mix mine up after dinner and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Take it out the next day about 2:00. Let it rise in the pan for 2 hours and it’s ready for dinner!
That sounds perfect! Thank you for letting me know!
Tastes amazing. My first attempt came out a bit dense. Any ideas?
Glad you liked the taste! There are many reasons a bread can come out dense. It’s hard to know for me, not being there. I would check google & see if it was any of those reasons. I’m glad you tried it!
Make sure you’re using proper measurements – especially with flour. You want to weigh the 2 cups of flour to the correct weight per cup
This is the 2nd time I’m making this bread and it is beyond perfect. I followed the instructions you provided with a slight change. When I took the bread out to be in room temperature I just kept it in the oven with the light on due to winters. It’s delicious and I will make it again and again and again. Thank you!
I love that! Thank you for letting me know!
This is such an easy yummy bread. I always make it when I make Zuppa Toscana soup. I have to make 2 because we love it so much. It’s worth buying the salt flakes!