Best Focaccia Bread | Italian Focaccia Bread

Updated on 6th May 2023

Best Focaccia Bread | Homemade Focaccia Bread | Italian Bread Recipe | How to make Focaccia Bread at Home

Best Focaccia Bread | Homemade Focaccia Bread | Italian Bread Recipe is a delicious versatile bread that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or turned into a wholesome meal.

What is Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread is an Italian bread recipe. It is a thick, spongy and soft flatbread with a crispier exterior. Usually, it uses olive oil, garlic and herbs for seasoning and sometimes veggies for the toppings.   If you think that bread making is a daunting task, then you will be surprised at the ease with which this bread is made.

This video shows how to make fresh focaccia bread at home right from the scratch.

Focaccia can be commonly served at room temperature, though you can also eat focaccia bread cold or toasted.

Focaccia bread is a very versatile bread. Bake it into a thin or thick crust or transform it into a sandwich. It can be served as breakfast, snacks, appetizer or as a side dish. Feel the flavor in every bite!

Ingredients

For Measurements refer to the RECIPE CARD further below.

Refined flour

Whole wheat flour

Yeast

Sugar

Olive oil

Garlic

Herbs – Dried thyme, Dried rosemary & Oregano

Spices – Salt ( kosher salt or pink salt.) Chili flakes

Topping – olives, onions, bell peppers

Water – around 350 ml water

Video Recipe

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How to make Focaccia Bread at Home

Yeast Activation

Firstly, to activate yeast take lukewarm water, add sugar, and add yeast to it.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

The yeast would have frothed within 10 minutes.

Topping for Focaccia Bread

Lightly sauté garlic and green chilies.

Secondly sauté the bell peppers and onions.

Kneading dough for Focaccia Bread

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl take plain flour and wholewheat flour and salt

Plunge in some Italian herbs, sautéed garlic and chilies.

Make a well in the middle of flour and add the yeast solution. Mix gently with hand or with electric mixer.

Add enough water so that the dough is soft, smooth and elastic.

Turn out the dough on to a work surface and knead for a few minutes. Use stretch and fold method.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil and knead dough until smooth.

First Rise

Keep this dough covered in a bowl for an hour until the dough rises and is double in volume.

Second Rise

When the dough has doubled, knock out the air with your knuckles and knead again a wee bit this time.

Spread the dough into a baking tray.

Bake Focaccia

Make dimples with your fingertips. Make sure to poke your finger all through to the base of the pan.

Top with onion, capsicums and olives and some more oil, herbs, chili flakes and sea salt.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220 C for 25minutes.

Once baked, remove the focaccia bread onto a cooling rack. Sprinkle some more olive oil while it is hot.

How to serve Focaccia Bread

It is best served warm.

Cut into small bite size pieces for snacks. Larger pieces for bigger hunger pangs!!.Choice is yours how you would want to enjoy such a flavorful focaccia.

Tips to make Best Focaccia Bread

Lightly sautéing garlic and green chili enhances the flavor. 

Take lukewarm water to activate yeast. Hot water will kill yeast.

Do not rush to add water instantly. Add gradually.

Use stretch and fold method to knead the dough. 

Keep the dough in warm place till it doubles in volume. 

Once the dough has risen, knock off the air with knuckles.

 Leftover dough can be stored in a zip lock bag and kept in the fridge

Bread lovers, have a look at these recipes too

Zaater Cheese Manakish

Olive Cheese Zaatar Pull Apart Rolls

Veggie Pizza

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Recipe Card

Best Focaccia Bread | Homemade Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread is an Italian bread recipe. It is a thick, spongy and soft flatbread with a crispier exterior. Usually, it uses olive oil, garlic and herbs for seasoning and sometimes veggies for the toppings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Proofing time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Lunch

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 200 gm refined flour
• 200 gm whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil or more if needed
• 5-6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 pc green chili chopped
• ¼ cup olives diced
• ¼ onions diced
• ¼ cup bell peppers diced
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• some kosher salt or pink salt
• 350 ml water adjust as needed

Instructions

 

Yeast Activation

• Firstly, to activate yeast take lukewarm water, add sugar, and add yeast to it.
• Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• The yeast would have frothed within 10 minutes.

Topping for Focaccia Bread

• Lightly sauté garlic and green chilies.
• Secondly sauté the bell peppers and onions.

Kneading dough for Focaccia Bread

• Meanwhile in a mixing bowl take plain flour and wholewheat flour and salt
• Plunge in some Italian herbs, sautéed garlic and chilies.
• Make a well in the middle of flour and add the yeast solution. Mix gently with hand or with electric mixer.
• Add enough water so that the dough is soft, smooth and elastic.
• Turn out the dough on to a work surface and knead for a few minutes. Use stretch and fold method.
• Add a tablespoon of olive oil and knead dough until smooth.

First Rise

• Keep this dough covered in a bowl for an hour until the dough rises and is double in volume.

Second Rise

• When the dough has doubled, knock out the air with your knuckles and knead again a wee bit this time.
• Spread the dough into a baking tray.
• Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Bake Focaccia

• Make dimples with your fingertips. Make sure to poke your finger all through to the base of the pan,
• Top with onion, capsicums and olives and some more oil, herbs, chili flakes and sea salt.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 25minutes.
• Once baked, remove the focaccia bread onto a cooling rack. Sprinkle some more olive oil while it is hot.

How to serve Focaccia Bread

• It is best served warm.
• Cut into small bite size pieces for snacks. Larger pieces for bigger hunger pangs!!.Choice is yours how you would want to enjoy such a flavorful focaccia.

Notes

• Lightly sautéing garlic and green chili enhances the flavor.
• Take lukewarm water to activate yeast. Hot water will kill yeast.
• Do not rush to add water instantly. Add gradually.
• Use stretch and fold method to knead the dough.
• Keep the dough in warm place till it doubles in volume.
• Once the dough has risen, knock off the air with knuckles.
•  Leftover dough can be stored in a zip lock bag and kept in the fridge

Keyword Focaccia, How to make Focaccia bread, Italian Bread

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