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Make this easy Focaccia Bread as a simple side dish! It’s the perfect no knead bread with herbs and olive oil and it’s become one of our favorite recipes!
Legit we ate the entire pan of this focaccia in one night. I put 10 servings on the recipe but if you have carb lovers in your house beware, it’s more like one serving.
I made this bread last week for one specific reason: to use that olive oil you see in the photos. I’m not even joking! I picked up a bottle of Jordan Olive Oil when we visited the winery up in Healdsburg a few weeks ago and I’ve been looking for an excuse to drink it ever since. Give me a loaf of good bread and a bottle of yummy olive oil and I call it dinner.
Until a few years ago I didn’t realize I liked focaccia bread. When I was little my parents would buy one at the store and it was like eating cold day-old pizza without cheese and it never made any sense to me. When I got older and started going to Italian restaurants I realized that it is just another type of bread.
Focaccia is an Italian bread that’s baked flat. It’s a yeast bread that’s no knead, easy to make and perfect as a side dish or for sandwiches.
And it’s absolutely perfect when dipped in good olive oil!
What do you eat focaccia bread with?
When I went looking for an easy bread recipe I came across this one and decided I had to make it for dinner. I made it as a side dish for chicken that night but it became my main course.
It goes with so many different things!
- Make focaccia pizza with pizza sauce and cheese and your favorite toppings
- Use it as a side dish
- Make sandwiches
- Add it to a charcuterie board
The sky is the limit!
There are also so many different ways you can season focaccia bread:
- Italian seasoning, as I did in this recipe
- Leave it plain with just a drizzle of oil
- Make garlic bread
- Use Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper for a pizza flavor
Served warm or cold, focaccia is easy to make and so good to eat.
Focaccia is a no knead bread recipe
I love that it’s one bowl and one spoon to make this easy recipe. No kneading means no extra time and no mess! Kneading bread isn’t hard but it does take time and you have to know what you’re doing. There’s more chance for error when you have to knead a recipe.
All you have to do when you’re making focaccia bread is to stir together the wet and dry ingredients. That’s it!
What kind of yeast do you use in focaccia?
This recipe uses Rapid Rise Yeast. Rapid Rise Yeast is a brand of Fleischmann’s Yeast (one of the major yeast sellers you find at the grocery store). Every yeast has it’s own version of Rapid Rise, often called “quick acting” or something similar. This yeast is a faster product because it does not need to be proofed (dissolved water and allowed to bloom) before mixing and it requires only one rise (or two shorter) after shaping it.
The kind of yeast you use for this recipe is important. You need to make sure and use a fast or quick acting yeast and NOT active dry yeast. Active Dry Yeast is a different kind of yeast and requires proofing and longer rising time.
Does focaccia need time to rise?
Because there is yeast in focaccia bread, it does need time to rise. The dough rises once right after mixing and then again after you add the toppings. It only needs about 45 minutes of rise time (as opposed to making bread) and is more like making pizza.
Once the focaccia bread has risen, you top it with more olive oil and herbs. Once it’s baked it’s great warm or cold and is a fluffy and fail proof bread recipe!
Love bread recipes? Try these:
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Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) rapid rise or fast acting yeast NOT active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 2/3 cups very warm water between 120°-130°F
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or oil.
- Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the water, then add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until well mixed. Press into prepapred pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke multiple holes into the dough. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover again and let rise additional 15 minutes. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned.
- Cool slightly and slice into pieces.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Last Updated on May 20, 2022
I was disappointed in the finished product. I can’t quite pin down the issue. The biggest issue was the texture. I think the answer is for me to find a recipe that calls for the dough to be kneaded.
The flavor is ok. I made this to serve to guests for dinner. They might feel differently.
Flavor was there but the texture was way off! For me it came out tasting more like a savory piece of cake rather than the classic chewy bread I had in mind. Using all the water left me with a very loose, almost batter like dough that allowed for too much rise, and the absence of kneading left the gluten strands underdeveloped. I think with a little less water and about 5 minutes or so of kneading it would have been perfect though. Definitely going to try again because it did have a good flavor and came together easy, I just wish it had been denser.
I made this for Christmas dinner and it turned out absolutely perfect! Great recipe. I added dried herbs to the flour mixture before adding the liquid. I also used garlic infused olive oil, and topped the bread with shredded Parmesan right before baking.
I was worried that the dough was very loose. Don’t worry it turns out fantastic.
Hi again, I am perfecting this recipe and am wanting to share my experiences with making this delicious bread. I know, in baking, even though the recipe is exact, sometimes we doubt ourselves so another hint. I noticed someone asked about the 1 2/3 water – because it came very watery – well, I found that while not like pure liquid, it is very sticky and gooey. But that’s is okay, just put into the greased pan then sort of smooth out – almost like a thick frosting. No worries if there are some holes because as it rises the holes get filled in. I just ❤️ this foccacia
Oops forgot- I tried making the water about 128 degrees which is a little warmer than I ordinarily do. I think it worked better. I am always concerned it will be too hot. THANKS AGAIN DOROTHY. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK WITH YOUR VERY UNDERSTANDABLE RECIPES1
Omg this focaccia is absolutely delish. Sometimes my breads don’t come out very good even though I feel that I have followed the recipe. But here is how I did this- followed recipe exactly- when putting in the pan and spreading I put a generous amount of olive oil in pan before spreading. To rise I turned my dryer on Med for about 1 min , shy]u off then put pan that was covered with Saran Wrap. I let it rise for about 1 hour. Then took out and followed recepe again. The last short rise, I just put in sunny window and covered with towel. My o-pings were Italian seasoning – generous amount, and olive oil, and salt and garlic. The best focaccia bread I’ve tasted. My compliments to the recipe maker!
I’m signing into your site! Now I have two faves -you and Jenny can cook!Forget the big recipe sites – you guys are great!
Dorothy-
I also have a ? About olive oils.
I’ve been researching as to the best oils for dipping. You mentioned Jordan. What suggestions do you have about various “tasty” oils
That I can purchase- and where I can find them. I’m in ct.
Thanks.
Do you have an olive oil store near you? They’re all the rage here, like wineries but olive oil. Do you have Il Fornaio (a restaurant) near you? If so theirs is fabulous!
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