Focaccia Bread

Focaccia Bread – surprisingly easy yet rich and aromatic Italian bread that’s chewy, soft with a slightly crisp exterior. A great alternative to the usual pizza dough. Can be served as breakfast, snacks, appetizer or as a side dish. Flavor in every bite!

For some of us, Friday night means PIZZA NIGHT. But if you want to switch things up a bit (oh I do), our recipe for today is a great homemade alternative to your regular pizza dough. Focaccia Bread is EASY, FLAVORFUL and very VERSATILE. And no, you don’t need to be an Italian granny to make this bread – baking rookies are welcome to make this!

What is Focaccia Bread?

Focaccia, pronounced as “fuh-KA-cha“, is an Italian yeast bread that is baked flat in sheet pans. Usually, it uses olive oil, garlic and herbs for seasoning and on some occasions, veggies for the toppings. Among all of the many variations of this popular bread, the Focaccia al rosmarino (or with rosemary) is my favorite – and we’re making it today!

Focaccia Bread Ingredients

This bread here has a lot of reasons to be loved. You can serve it as breakfast sandwiches, snacks, appetizers or as a side to main dishes – meat, seafoods, vegetables or soups and stews. You can literally eat this THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

Given how versatile this bread is, you aren’t required to use hard-to-find ingredients. Below are basically it’s primary ingredients:

• olive oil
• garlic
• fresh thyme and rosemary
• warm milk
• sugar
• all-purpose flour
• sea salt
• active dry yeast

Don’t you worry, friends, ’cause this tasty Italian bread is newbie-friendly and fail proof. It doesn’t require that much kneading, you see. Just make sure that you check the label of your yeast before mixing it up. Then you have nothing else to worry!

Focaccia Toppings

As for the toppings, I went with just the simple ones – garlic, thyme rosemary and sea salt. Nothing fancy! But if you want to go all out, please feel free to add any of the following below:

• sliced olives as topping for the dough
• thinly sliced raw or caramelized onions
• mushrooms
• artichokes
• green onions
• cherry tomatoes or sliced tomatoes
• shredded cheese (add before or after baking)
• sage or oregano (instead of rosemary)
• pesto (add before or after baking)

Can I Make A Sweet Focaccia Bread?

Yes, Ma’am, you can certainly make one. In the Northwest of Italy, there’s a sweet version of Focaccia Bread that is sprinkled with sugar. Ingredients typically added to the dough are  honey, raisins and other sweet stuff you could think of.

Can Focaccia Dough Be Made Ahead of Time?

The longer the dough rests, the better flavor it has. Just imagine the olive oil and rosemary mixture soaked into it. Lucky for us, we can certainly make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven whenever craving strikes.

FREEZING THE DOUGH

After it rises in the mixing bowl, punch the dough down to release the air. Next, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag or Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply thaw it overnight in the fridge, bring to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe below.

FREEZING BAKED FOCACCIA

Although this bread is best enjoyed the same day it’s made, you can bake it ahead and freeze. Just let the baked bread cool completely before covering it tightly with plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer bag or aluminum foil and freeze for up to a month. When ready to eat, thaw the bread at room temperature and warm it up in the oven.

What Do You Eat Focaccia Bread With?

Traditionally, Italians love to serve Focaccia Bread as sandwiches by slicing it up in the middle and filling it with salami, cheese, and prosciutto. Or you can do it my way by serving this bread with any of the following below:

• Chili
• Shrimp Spinach Pasta(with video)
• Brunswick Stew
• Easy Pasta Salad
• Cajun Whole Roast Chicken

If you notice the dishes above, it means that Focaccia Bread can be served with almost ANYTHING, any time of the day. 

Other Rolls/Bread Recipes You Might Like

 

• Challah Bread
• Irish Soda Bread
• Easy Dinner Rolls
• Beer Bread
• Samoan Bread Rolls (Pani Popo)

 

How To Make Focaccia Bread

Mixing the Toppings

In a medium saucepan pan, combine olive oil, minced garlic, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, and black pepper. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until aromatic, but before the garlic browns. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add warm milk and sugar, stir to combine. Add yeast to the milk and stir. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.

Making the Dough

Add half of the flour, salt and a 1/4 cup of the infused garlic-olive oil mixture into the bowl of yeast and milk. Stir until the flour is moistened, then stir in the remaining flour and mix until the dough comes together for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer dough to a floured board and knead 10 to 15 times until smooth. Do not over knead dough.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and place in a warm area. Let it rise for about an hour or until it has nearly doubled in size.

Forming the Dough

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap, and transfer the dough to a large greased baking sheet. Use your fingers to poke very deep dimples all over the surface of the dough, then drizzle the rest of infused olive oil/garlic mixture over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice, and serve warm.