You can now enjoy the fluffy, soft texture of this garlic and fresh herbs focaccia bread recipe with minimal fuss and effort using our foolproof method! Whatever you're having for dinner, you'll want some delicious authentic garlic focaccia to go with it.
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
Packed with aromatic herbs, fresh garlic, and a subtle hint of olive oil, this focaccia bread recipe will become a household favorite for all occasions.
Using pantry staples, like yeast, flour, olive oil, and sugar for the dough and some fresh garlic and herbs to top it off, you'll be making authentic focaccia more often than not once you try its soft pillowy texture and crispy crust.
Although you need to wait a few hours for the dough to rise, the prep work is pretty fast - giving busy moms a chance to do daily chores while the dough rests and bakes.
The great thing about making homemade focaccia is the amazing smell of baked bread. It's one of the best things about baking! And the aroma will fill the entire house, and everyone will be desperate to try a piece.
It's the perfect easy focaccia recipe for any occasion that you can make in advance to use throughout the week.
Best of all, you can customize the herbs and toppings to your preference. Or try your baking skills with some delicious sandwich bread, homemade artisan bread, pull-apart garlic bread and spiced jalapeno cheddar cornbread.
🍽 Key Ingredients
Here is a list of key ingredients you'll need to make this garlic rosemary focaccia bread:
Warm water: Make sure to use warm water (about 110°F) when dissolving the active dry yeast in this recipe, as it is essential for making the focaccia dough. A cooking thermometer can be used to double-check the temperature of the water if needed.
Sugar: You don't need too much granulated sugar to give the bread sweetness and help activate the yeast.
Yeast: You can use active or instant yeast for this focaccia recipe.
Flour: Go for all-purpose flour if possible, if not, bread flour will also work.
For the focaccia toppings
Olive oil: Get the best olive oil out of the cupboard for making focaccia! Using good-quality olive oil makes a huge difference to the overall flavor of focaccia, considering you use quite a bit of it.
Salt: Use the rock type of salt, like Himalayan sea salt or kosher salt, as it tastes better when sprinkled on top of the focaccia compared to fine sea salt.
Garlic - A hint of minced garlic adds depth and aroma to the focaccia. Roasted garlic works great too!
Herbs - Use fresh herbs like basil, thyme, or rosemary to give the bread a fresh burst of flavor.
Substitutions
If you don't have all of the ingredients listed, here are some substitutions to make:
Olive oil
I always advise using extra virgin olive oil when making focaccia (like the Italians), but I have tried it with canola oil, and it also tasted great.
Sugar
Replace the granulated sugar with honey or agave nectar.
Herbs
You can replace fresh herbs with dried herbs - use half of the amount indicated in the recipe.
Garlic
Leave out the garlic if you don't like it, add more if you love garlic bread, or substitute it with half the amount of garlic powder or onion powder if you don't have fresh.
🔪 How to make
Making an authentic focaccia bread at home is easy and only requires a few steps to make perfect, fluffy, and chewy focaccia. Once you master the basic technique, you can get creative and customize your focaccia with herbs, spices, or other ingredients. Let's get started!
Preparations
Step 1
Pour half of the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix in the sugar and yeast. Leave it for 5 minutes to froth up.
Step 2
Pour the remaining warm water into the bowl with the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and mix on low for 30 seconds, then add the 3 ½ cups of flour and beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
Step 3
The dough should come away from the bowl after 2 minutes. If it is still sticky, add another ½ cup of flour and beat for another 30 seconds.
Step 4
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 1 to 2 minutes until the focaccia dough is soft to the touch and it springs back when pressed.
Step 5
Place the dough in a bowl lightly greased with olive oil and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for around 2 hours until the dough has risen and doubled in size.
Step 6
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your fingers, then transfer it to a baking sheet or dish (oiled well with olive oil), and stretch the dough to fit your baking dish.
Step 7
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. For the best flavor, let the dough sit in the fridge for longer (between 12 to 24 hours).
Step 8
Finely chop the fresh garlic and coarsely chop the fresh rosemary and mix them with 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl.
Step 9
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius).
Step 10
Once the focaccia bread dough has risen slightly and come to room temperature, make loads of dimples (indents) into it using your fingers - across the whole surface area.
Step 11
Spread the garlic and herb olive oil over the top of the focaccia using a pastry brush, then sprinkle coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper over the top.
Cooking instructions
Step 1
Bake the homemade focaccia for around 22 minutes until the top is golden brown. If you want it even browner, put it under the broiler for the last 5 minutes.
Step 2
Remove the fresh garlic and rosemary focaccia bread from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
💭 Cooking tips
Bread thickness
You can make this focaccia as thick or thin as you’d like. Just use a bigger baking pan for a thinner focaccia and a smaller dish for a thicker focaccia.
Making the dough by hand
While I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe, you can also make the dough by hand. To do so, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then make a well in the center. Pour in the wet ingredients, then use your hands to mix and knead everything together for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Create a warm environment for the dough rise
An easy way to help the focaccia dough rise on a cold day is to preheat the oven to 150°F (66°C), then turn it off and place the bowl with dough inside the warm oven with the door ajar. The heat from the oven will keep the dough warm and allow it to rise faster.
📖 Focaccia Variations
For extra flavorful there are several delicious variations you can try. Here are a few suggestions:
Focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes
For a touch of sweetness, chop ½ cup of sundried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and sprinkle them on top of the dough before baking.
Caramelized onion and parmesan cheese focaccia
Spread ½ cup of caramelized onions over the top of the focaccia dough brushed with garlic and rosemary oil, and sprinkle ¼ cup of parmesan cheese on top for a tasty combination.
Focaccia with olives, feta, and prosciutto
For a savory twist, scatter ½ cup of pitted kalamata olives over the dough and sprinkle ¼ cup of crumbled feta cheese on top. Finish it off by adding thin slices of prosciutto for a salty kick.
Focaccia pizza
You can even make a thick-based pizza with this focaccia. Take the focaccia out of the oven after 20 minutes of baking and top it with your favorite pizza toppings, like pepperoni, marinara sauce, bell peppers, and cheese.
🥗 What to serve with
Focaccia is incredibly versatile and pairs well with so many dishes. Serve it as a side to soups, salads, dips, or meat dishes.
Meatballs
There's nothing quite like soft, tender meatballs in a delicious sauce with a side of freshly baked focaccia. Try our easy Ikea Swedish meatballs, slow-cooker Salisbury steak meatballs, or Italian meatballs with spaghetti for inspiration.
Soup
This focaccia is the perfect partner for a warm bowl of soup. Enjoy it with Italian wedding soup, chicken vegetable soup, pizza soup, or warm roasted tomato soup. Or try one of these easy soup recipes with chicken or easy soups with potato.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
What is the best flour to use for focaccia?
The best flour to use for focaccia is all-purpose or bread flour. All-purpose gives a softer, fluffier texture, while bread flour gives a chewier texture. Both will work for this recipe, so use whichever you have on hand.
Why is my focaccia dense?
If your focaccia is too dense, it’s likely due to not enough rising time or kneading. Make sure the dough has been proofed for at least 2 hours, and knead it for the full 10 minutes to produce a nice, airy focaccia.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ reheating
Leftover garlic and rosemary focaccia bread is great for storing as it stays fresh and soft for days at room temperature and refrigerated.
Room temperature - Cover the leftover focaccia in plastic wrap and store in a cupboard or bread bin for up to 4 days.
Refrigerated - Transfer the focaccia to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezer - Wrap the focaccia in parchment paper, then in foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating - Focaccia can be warmed back up in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake for 7-10 minutes. Or warm it up in the toaster oven for 3-4 minutes. For a softer texture, wrap the focaccia in foil before reheating.
🍳 More Bread Recipes
If you love my garlic and rosemary focaccia recipe, here are a few fantastic bread recipes I'm sure you'll love.
And if baking is your thing, browse through our 37 fun things to bake and my bread recipes for more ideas.
👪 Serving size
You can expect to get 12 slices from this focaccia bread recipe, which is enough to serve 6 people. However, if you need to make more, the recipe is easily scalable.
Overall, this amazing recipe is an absolute winner for any occasion - it’s fragrant, light, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. With its beautiful golden crust and soft texture, this focaccia will surely be the star of your dinner table! Enjoy!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water - warm, 480 mL, between 100–110°F, 38–43°C
- 2 teaspoons Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Active dry yeast - or Instant dry yeast, slightly less than 1 standard packet
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil - 60 mL
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 4½-5 cups All-purpose flour - or bread flour (spoon and leveled), plus more for hands
Topping
- 5 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil - 75 mL, or more as needed, divided
- 2 Garlic cloves - minced
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh herbs - such as basil, thyme, and rosemary, chopped (or 2 Tablespoons dried herbs)
- Coarse salt - sprinkle
- Black pepper - freshly ground, sprinkle
Instructions
Preparations
- Pour half of the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix in the sugar and yeast. Leave it for 5 minutes to froth up.
- Pour the remaining warm water into the bowl with the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and mix on low for 30 seconds, then add the 3 ½ cups of flour and beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
- The dough should come away from the bowl after 2 minutes. If it is still sticky, add another ½ cup of flour and beat for another 30 seconds.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 1 to 2 minutes until the focaccia dough is soft to the touch and it springs back when pressed.
- Place the dough in a bowl lightly greased with olive oil and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for around 2 hours until the dough has risen and doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your fingers, then transfer it to a baking sheet or dish (oiled well with olive oil), and stretch the dough to fit your baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. For the best flavor, let the dough sit in the fridge for longer (between 12 to 24 hours).
- Finely chop the fresh garlic and coarsely chop the fresh rosemary and mix them with 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius).
- Once the focaccia bread dough has risen slightly and come to room temperature, make loads of dimples (indents) into it using your fingers - across the whole surface area.
- Spread the garlic and herb olive oil over the top of the focaccia using a pastry brush, then sprinkle coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper over the top.
Cooking Instructions
- Bake the homemade focaccia in the preheated oven for around 22 minutes until the top is golden brown. If you want it even browner, put it under the broiler for the last 5 minutes.
- Remove the fresh garlic and rosemary focaccia bread from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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