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This easy Focaccia Bread recipe is no knead and so simple to make. It’s perfect for beginners and tastes so good! The best part of this focaccia is making it with herbs and olive oil or anything you like – even turn it into pizza dough!
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 to make as pizza. This easy focaccia recipe is so simple – one bowl and one pan – and you can flavor it however you want. It’s a soft and chewy focaccia that’s the perfect side dish. It’s my favorite bread to eat with dinner or even as sandwich bread.
All you have to do when you’re making focaccia bread is to stir together the wet and dry ingredients. That’s it! With just 10 minutes of hands-on time you’ll have easy homemade bread on the table in no time at all.
How to make focaccia bread
- Be sure to use the correct yeast: this recipe is written for INSTANT yeast. All brands have different names for it, but the package will say instant (ex Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise yeast). You cannot use active dry yeast in this recipe.
- Always add a bit of sugar to help activate the yeast. We’ll also use all-purpose flour and salt.
- Make sure your water is between 120°-130°F (an instant read thermometer is good to have!) so that you activate the yeast properly.
- Because of the high ratio of water in the dough, the soft dough is a very sticky dough. You should be able to stir it in a large bowl with just a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
- The focaccia dough only needs one rise because of the type of yeast. Let the dough rest in the prepared pan for about 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel.
- Once it’s ready to bake you can top it however you like – I love to use olive oil, kosher or flaky sea salt, and herbs like fresh rosemary or dried Italian seasoning. Just sprinkle these all over the surface of the dough and press with your fingers to make deep dimples.
- Dimpling removes air bubbles creating a more cohesive and uniform texture.
- You know focaccia bread is done baking when it’s light golden brown.
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Variations
There are lots of things you can drizzle or add to the top of the dough:
- Spread garlic butter all over it to make garlic bread or just sprinkle with chopped garlic cloves
- Turn it into pizza with sauce
- Place vegetables like cherry tomatoes on top
- Lightly knead in fruit or chocolate chips
Expert Tips
- 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.
- There are so many options when seasoning this bread: Italian seasoning, A bit of olive oil, or turn it into garlic bread or pizza!
- Because there is yeast in focaccia bread, it does need time to rise. Therefore plan accordingly.
Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
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!
Recipe Video
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rising Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
- 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons or 7g) rapid rise or fast acting yeast NOT active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅔ cups (395ml) very warm water (heated to between 120°-130°F)
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13-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 Notes
- Do not use active dry yeast.
- This takes time to rise, so plan accordingly.
- You can add garlic powder or fresh garlic to make garlic bread, or even turn this into pizza!
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 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 a greased 9×13-inch baking 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.
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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