Italian Focaccia Bread Recipe

Focaccia Bread with Rosemary and Tomatoes

Italian Focaccia Bread Recipe

This Focaccia Bread recipe is an easy, no-knead, tasty treat or side. A tantalizing Italian flatbread topped with your favorite things: olives, rosemary, heirloom cherry tomatoes etc. Perfect on its own, used to make Italian panini, or even used as a base for pizza.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Focaccia Bread, Italian Recipes, Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Rise time 2

Total Time 47

Servings people

Calories 265kcal

Author Florentina

Ingredients

For the Dough

2.5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1.5 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mashed potato (Optional but recommended for a fluffier focaccia)

Toppings

2-3 tbsp black olives slices
heirloom or cherry tomatoes (sliced)
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves only)
1 pinch Fleur de Sel sea salt to taste
1 Tbsp fennel seeds toasted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and half of the rosemary. Add the mashed potato and using your hand work it into the flour mix.
2.5 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 cup mashed potato, 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
In a separate bowl whisk the warm water with the yeast and olive oil. Pour over the flour mixture. Use a large spatula to mix the dry and wet ingredients until everything is combined and a sticky dough forms. Use your hand to knead for just a minute until the dough comes together into a ball.
1 cup warm water, 1.5 tsp instant yeast, 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Brush or drizzle the top of the dough with a little olive oil then cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Place in a draft free area and allow to rise for 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
Lightly oil a 12 inch cast iron skillet then dump the focaccia dough inside. Use your hand to spread the dough inside the skillet all the way to the sides.
Using the tip of your fingers to press all over the top to create dimples.
Lightly drizzle with some olive oil then add your favorite toppings: olives, heirloom tomatoes and rosemary, pepperoncini, red onion, scallions, zucchini etc
2-3 tbsp black olives, heirloom or cherry tomatoes, 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 1 pinch Fleur de Sel sea salt
Finish with a sprinkling of Fleur the Sel (sea salt flakes) and cover with a lid. Allow the focaccia to rise again at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes or so while the oven is heating up.

Bake the Focaccia

Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400”F.
Bake the focaccia bread uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until the top and the sides are a light golden brown color.
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool off completely before sliding out of the pan and slicing.

Notes

About the mashed potato, to use or not to use? - Use it if you are after a fluffy texture! For a traditional focaccia with a dryer crumb omit the potato.
Is there an alternative to olive oil? - If you really can’t use olive oil (it’s really the best in this recipe), you can always use another oil. Vegetable oil, walnut oil, sunflower oil or canola oil, just to name a few options.
How do I make focaccia bread art? - Before baking your bread, you can use herbs and veggies to make designs on the top. Once you’re finished designing, you just bake it as normal. It’s fun and just as tasty.
How do I make focaccia bread fluffier? - Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to your yeast and warm water and give it a whisk to mix. Let it stand until foamy and then follow the rest of the steps as normal. This should make your bread fluffier than usual but it really isn’t necessary especially is you are adding the mashed potato.

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