Focaccia

Making focaccia is easier than you think. With our recipe you can make authentic Italian focaccia bread in as little as three hours.

This recipe is tested by hundreds of you that follow us here and on social. It makes a focaccia with a crisp and golden crust and soft and airy crumb. Happy baking!

Where we are based, in central Italy, focaccia (pronounced FOKACCHA) is thin and crunchy, similar to schiacciata. In other regions, it is thicker and more similar to bread.

My love story with focaccia goes back decades. I remember well when, as a kid going to school, I would have a slice as a mid-morning snack.

10 AM sharp, all of us boys would put our wrapped slice of focaccia on the classroom’s radiator to reheat it. It was SO good! Can you imagine the smell in the classroom? The teachers were furious 😂.

Now, I passed on this love to Louise, who demands having a slice every Saturdays for breakfast from our favorite local baker, Nazzareno 🤷‍♀️.

Ingredients

• Flour: bread flour or all-purpose flour. You can substitute half whole-wheat flour for half all-purpose flour. If you can find Caputo Pizzeria or Caputo Nuvola flour imported from Italy you are in for a treat (not sponsored).
• Water: lukewarm. Not hot, not cold.
• Yeast: we recommend instant dry yeast. Our favorites are SAF Instant and Caputo Dry Yeast (not sponsored). Other brands will work too. You can substitute fresh yeast for dry. In this case you’ll need 3X the amount compared to dry.
• Extra virgin olive oil: it gives flavor, softness, and prevents the focaccia from sticking to the pan. For less oil you can substitute parchment paper at the bottom (less flavor).
• Salt and sugar: salt for flavor, sugar for color and rise.
• Toppings: extra virgin olive oil, salt, water as a basic topping. Rosemary and flakey salt optional.

Step 1: Bloom the yeast.

Measure ingredients first. Then add lukewarm water, instant dry yeast, and sugar to a small bowl, whisk and set aside for 30 seconds. Yeast must fully dissolve. If it doesn’t start again with fresh yeast.

Step 2: Make the dough.

To a large mixing bowl, add and stir flour and salt. Now add the yeast-water mixture and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until you have a wet, sticky dough (about 1 minute). Add extra virgin olive oil and stir one more minute until incorporated.

Step 3: Choose quick or slow proofing.

Quick proofing (1.5 to 2 hours): Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, leaving enough space between the dough and the cloth.

Put the bowl in a slightly warm oven for 1.5 to 2 hours or until double in volume. To get the oven warm, turn it on for 60 seconds then turn it off. Don’t leave it on.

Slow proofing (8 to 24 hours): Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough mature slowly in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours.

When ready, remove from fridge and leave it at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before the next step.

Step 4: Folding.

After proofing, fold the dough with a spoon over itself 20 to 40 times (it takes 30 – 60 seconds) from the outside to the inside while still in the bowl. Stop folding once the dough gets tight; you’ll feel it.

Step 5: Final proofing.

Grease your baking pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and drop the dough into the pan.

Spread the dough with the back of two spoons until most of the baking pan is covered.

Wet the spoons with water to prevent them from sticking. It’s okay if the focaccia gets a little wet on top.

Cover with a damp cloth/baking tray/or plastic wrap. Proof a second time in a warm corner of your kitchen for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 450°F or 230°C, and prepare the topping.

Step 6: Topping.

In a small bowl, mix olive oil, water and salt until dissolved. Dip fingers in it, then press dimples across the focaccia.

Pour the remaining oil-water mixture over the dough, letting it seep into the dimples.

Optionally, add rosemary and sprinkle with flaky or sea salt.

Step 7: Bake the focaccia.

When the oven reaches 450°F or 230°C, place the focaccia on the medium-low rack and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes.

Baking times vary. If your focaccia is thick, it’ll take closer to 25 minutes. If it’s thin, it’ll take closer to 20 minutes. It should be golden brown and crispy on top, well-cooked on the bottom, and still soft inside.

Let it cool down for at least 5 minutes before removing it from the pan, cutting it, and serving it.

Our favorite variation is one with a topping of:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 thinly sliced red onion
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• a heaping teaspoon of oregano
• 2 handfuls of olives, and salt.

Here’s the video on YouTube if you are interested.

But there are many more variations of focaccia. Each region has its own:

Pizza in teglia, Focaccia Genovese, Focaccia di Recco, Focaccia Barese, Pizza Bianca Romana, Focaccia alla Messinese, Schiacciata Toscana, Strazzata Lucana, Vastedda, Sfincione Palermitano, Sceblasti, Tiròt di Felonica, Chisola coi grasei, Pitta Calabrese, and more.

• Flatbread pizza
• Tuscan schiacciata
• Homemade bread (easy no-knead recipe)
• Pita bread & Naan
• Piadina (Italian flatbread)

If you tried this Focaccia recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!