Rosemary Focaccia Bread

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED. IT FIRST APPEARED ON ITALIAN KITCHEN CONFESSION ON JULY 21st 2020.

Italian Focaccia with its soft interior and a crisp and salty exterior. ..Focaccia Bread with some large and small bubbles inside. It’s a real treat. It’s a great snack for everyone. And it is the perfect bread to pair with many Italian recipes! Looking for an indulgent yet simple recipe? Look no further than our guide to making deliciously fragrant Rosemary Focaccia bread.

But what is focaccia? Focaccia is part of the extensive selection of Italian bread. It is a classic Italian flatbread that is baked in the oven and its ingredients are flour, yeast, water and EVOO. The result is a bread that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, in this case flavored with fresh rosemary, sea salt flakes and EVOO. Italians typically eat focaccia dipped in olive oil as an appetizer, and some traditional restaurants in Italy serve it as part of the breadbasket selection. But the ways to enjoy this bread are endless.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS FOCACCIA BREAD RECIPE

– It is one of the classic savory snacks that everyone will love and it is an easy focaccia recipe that everyone can make!

– You will let it rise in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. This will produce a much better results thatn faster rising.

– This rosemary focaccia recipe is comprehensive of all the steps and tips to always bake an extraordinary focaccia 

FOCACCIA ORIGINS AND REGIONAL VARIETIES

Focaccia has been popular since the time of the Etruscans and Romans. In fact, the word focaccia derives from the Latin “focus,” meaning fire, and refers to the cooking method.

In Italy there are several regional variations, I would say that almost every region has its own version, so I will highlight the most popular ones. The first one to mention, and the one that probably comes to mind for many when we talk about focaccia, comes from Liguria. While we have already talked about the pesto, we have not yet discovered another delicious dish of the Ligurian territory. There we have 3 types of focaccia, all of which have rectangular shapes. The first type is the one popular in the town of Camogli, which has a crispier top. The second is instead from the town of Recco, it is very thin and filled with gooey cheese. The last one is the Focaccia Genovese, which is usually spread with oil and salt on top. Often this version is flavored with rosemary, thyme or sage.

In Veneto, focaccia is a cake offered during the Easter season, called focaccia dolce or “fugassa” in Venetian dialect, both meaning sweet focaccia. It is a more humble version of the typical Easter cake called colomba and is made with eggs, sugar and butter instead of salt and olive oil. The origins of focaccia dolce is mostly a legend, that says it was invented by a baker from the city of Treviso who enriched his bread dough with eggs, butter, and honey to obtain a sweet and soft bread that he gifted to his customers for Easter. 

Another famous focaccia is the Focaccia Barese, from Puglia. It is usually round and made with a dough of flour and potatoes, topped with olives and tomatoes.

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD INGREDIENTS 

The ingredients to make this Italian bread focaccia are very simple and I’m sure you have them handy in your pantry. Homemade focaccia ingredients are very humble and, like most Italian recipes, few simple ingredients when combined give life to delicious meal that creates memory. Let’s dig into the science of these simple ingredients to bake the best rosemary focaccia bread.

FLOUR

I used a mix of 00 Italian flour and bread flour. Combining 2 kind of flour gives the right consistency to the focaccia, gives the best result in terms of consistency to the bite without making the focaccia too chewy.  You should use equal quantity of 00 flour and bread flour.  In terms of substitution You can use all purpose flour if you cannot find Italian 00 flour. 

YEAST

Fresh yeast is best. You will need to proof it in a soultion of water and sugar. Another good alternative is instant yeast, which does not require proofing. I avoid active dry yeast, as it is more indicated to bake cake such as briocher.  So my recommendation is to follow exactly the dose indicated in the recipe.

SUGAR

You will need sugar to help to activate the yeast. You can also use honey or agave syrup.

SALT

You will need salt. First, you will need fine sea salt or kosher salt to add to the dough mix to give the right sapidity. Then you will need some flaky sea salt to add on top before baking the focaccia. Make sure you use good quality salt flakes. You can also use coarse sea salt. Do not skimp on salt, focaccia is saltier than any other kind of Italian breads.

FRESH HERBS: ROSEMARY

I usually add the chopped fresh rosemary only 5 minutes before the last baking to avoid it to burn and to release a bitter-herbaceous flavor.

EVOO

I recommend you use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Be generous with it, several tablespoons of olive oil help the focaccia to maintain the moisture and to have that characteristic flavor. You will need to add it to the dough, to the bowl for the first rise and to the pan before the second rise. In addition you will need to add it on top, before baking the focaccia. If you dose it correctly following my instruction you will end up with a focaccia that is not at too oily.

WATER

You will need to lukewarm water. You will need a part of it to activate the yeast and then you will use the rest to make the dough.

The most essential ingredient is patience! I must confess that it took me several attempts before perfecting this recipe, so I hope that you will prepare the best Rosemary Focaccia ever by following the steps below. 

HOW TO MAKE FOCACCIA BREAD

There are several steps to prepare the best version of this Italian focaccia recipe. They are carefully described to make it easier to follow. Please let me know in the comments if this is helpful!

TO ACTIVATE THE YEAST:

Gather all your ingredients and start by proofing the fresh yeast. Add 1 teaspoon of yeast to a bowl, add the sugar and 1 fl oz of water. Let it work for 5 minutes until it bubbles. If it does not activate, throw it away and start the process again.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, salt and start incorporating ¾ of the water. (You can also use a food processor).

Mix until all the ingredients are combined and then add the remaining water. Transfer it on a lightly floured surface. Knead it for 8 minutes until smooth or until the impression made with fingers spring back very fast. You will obtain a sticky dough, it is totally normal! Do not add more flour!

TO MAKE THE FOCACCIA DOUGH RISE THE FIRST TIME:

Take a clean large bowl, rub it with EVOO. Make sure to oil also the sides of the bowl. At this point, roll the dough inside the bowl to coat it with the oil. After this, cut a cross on top of the dough with a knife. This will aid to raise. Cover it with plastic wrap and let the dough rest it in the refrigerator for at least 8 h up to a maximum of 24 hours.

You could also leave it in a warm, air-free spot and let it rise for 90 minutes, until it doubles the size. I usually leave it for 24 hours as it will help the dough to rise more, and giving you a homemade focaccia bread that is easier to digest.

TO MAKE IT RISE THE SECOND TIME:

After the first rise, deflate the dough with your hands and transfer it to a baking pan (12.75 x 8 inch) or a baking sheet. Covered with oil. Make some impression on the surface of the dough with your fingers and place it inside a plastic bag to let it rise a second time.

I let the dough rise outside the refrigerator  at room temperature for 2 hours. Make sure the area is free from air. 

BAKING:

After the second rise, you will need to prepare the dough for the baking.

Turn off the oven at 430 °F (220° C). Make again some impressions with your fingers and brush it with the focaccia bread brine or salamoia mixture, which is a solution of EVOO, water and salt. Bake it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. 😊

Before the last 5 minutes, add the rosemary and let it bake it until golden brown. Make sure you check your oven instructions, as it is important to position the oven-shelf at the right place…just saying it by experience. Transfer it on a cooling rack. Your rosemary focaccia bread is now ready to be enjoyed!

OTHER BREAD RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Focaccia Panini 3 Ways

Focaccia with tomato and olives

5 GOLDEN TIPS FOR BEST FOCACCIA RECIPE

TIP 1: Alyways use equal amount of bread flour and 00 Italian flour for a focaccia that is airy and chewy.

TIP 2: Do not be shy on extra virging olive oil. Olive oil aid the focaccia to be soft inside and to become golden and crips on top. Do not forget to coat your baking pan with oil, this will prevent the focaccia to stick to it.

TIP 3: the focaccia needs water to be moist and to rise properly. Lukewarm water is essential and do not use less than the quantity recommended.

TIP 4: Salt is king, do not forget to salt your dough and to sprinkle it on top.

TIP 5: dimple your focaccia before the second rise and after the second rise. This will ensure the focaccia will not bubble and burn, but ont he contrary will have a beautiful uniform golden color.

FOCACCIA VARIATIONS

Here are some recommendations to customize your recipe:

Herbs: You can use thyme, sage, oregano or basil.

Vegetables: A nice topping is tomatoes, onions, olives. Also grated zucchine with onions are great when in season.

Richer version: ham, mozzarella or salami. I recommend not overdoing it, as you still want to taste that soft bread with a lightly salted crust that is so irresistible.

The toppings are endless, you have the basic recipe so you can really use your creativity to make your best focaccia bread recipe!

You can also use different kind of flours: whole wheat flour, spelt flour, gluten free flour. 

WHAT TO SERVE WITH ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD

Focaccia can be enjoyed as is, or as a nibble during an aperitivo. You can also serve focaccia bread as a bread variety for your Italian Antipasto Platter.

It is a great side for salads, soup and pesto dips. Here a few ideas:

Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata

Bright Spring Salad Recipe

Italian Green Salad

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Carrot Top Pesto

HOW TO STORE ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD 

Focaccia is best eaten fresh. You can store your rosemary focaccia bread in an airtight container for 2/3 days, since it is moist and contains oil, it will not get stale like regular bread. I don’t recommend freezing it as the taste won’t be the same.  A great way to use leftover focaccia is to make some focaccia croutons in the oven. Slice your focaccia in 1inch size cubes and toast it the oven for 10 minutes, until they become crunchy. They will keep for 4/5 days and are great over your salad or in a soup.

Please let me know in the comments how you like this rosemary Focaccia bread recipe and tips. If you make it please leave a star rating! I would really love to hear from you!

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