Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
Focaccia is a light, airy, olive-oil–rich flatbread that works anytime you need a good carb! The long fermentation creates deep flavor, a tender crumb, and those signature bubbly pockets. After the dough rises, it’s dimpled generously with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs or flaky salt, and baked until golden and crisp on the edges but soft inside. It’s simple, rustic, and perfect as a side, sandwich base, or snack all on its own.
Ingredients
- 600 grams bread flour 5 cups
- 2 tsp yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 480 grams water 2 cups
Instructions
Mix Dough
- Place your water and olive oil in a large boil. Add the flour, salt, and yeast and stir together with a Dutch Whisk or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Stir about three minutes or until all of the flour is hydrated and the dough is very smooth. This is a very wet dough and may not pull away from the sides of the bowl. Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Stretch and Folds
- Coat a cookie sheet with olive oil. Next, transfer the dough to the dish and pat it into a rectangle of sorts. Working on each side, pull the dough up and away from the sheet pan to stretch it about a foot. Then fold it back over about two thirds of the dough, as if you were folding a letter, and press it together. Repeat this process with each side of the dough, 4 times. Then flip the dough so that the seams are facing down, coat the top with olive oil, and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- After thirty minutes you will notice that the dough has puffed up and spread on the sheet pan. Uncover it and perform another series of stretch and folds. The dough should be smoother and have a little less give than last time. Once again, flip the dough seam side down, oil the top, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for one hour.
Shaping
- At the end of the hour the dough should be ready to be dimpled. Using all of your fingers, begin pressing the dough from the center out towards the edges of the pan. Press your fingers all the way towards the bottom of the pan without breaking through the dough. When you've covered 3/4's of the pan, you are ready to cover it with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator overnight or up to three days.
Bake
- The next day, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the focaccia dough out of the refrigerator right before you want to bake it. You’ll notice that it has risen slightly in the refrigerator. Now, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the surface, spreading it over the top with your fingers. Repeat the dimpling process, using your fingers to gently deflate the focaccia dough and spread it from the center out towards the edges and into the corners of the pan.
- Finally, top your focaccia bread generously with coarse salt and then with any other toppings as desired. Bake on 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and an instant read thermometer should read 200 degrees.
- Once the bread is out of the oven, let it cool completely before slicing. Serve alongside dinner or split it open for a fantastic sandwich. Happy Baking!