From the roundup: 12 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes for Beginners
This rosemary focaccia is the bread I make when I want something homemade but I don’t have the bandwidth for anything fussy. The dough comes together in one bowl with a wooden spoon, no kneading, no special equipment. You stir it, let it rise, press it into an oiled sheet pan, and bake it at 425 degrees for about 22 minutes. That’s genuinely it.
The part that trips people up the first time is the dough itself. It’s sticky and wet and looks wrong, but that’s exactly what you want. Don’t add more flour. The loose texture is what gives focaccia those big air pockets and that chewy, open crumb. A tight, smooth dough will bake up dense, and that’s a real disappointment after two hours of waiting.
Of the 135 minutes total, you’re active for maybe 20. The rest is rise time. I usually start it before lunch and it’s ready to go with dinner.
How this one became a regular here
The first time I made focaccia I added extra flour because the dough looked like a mess and I panicked. It baked up like a thick, chewy puck. My husband ate it politely and said nothing, which told me everything. The second time I trusted the recipe and left the dough alone, and the difference was immediate. Golden edges, soft and airy inside, crisp bottom from all that olive oil in the pan.
Now I make it most weekends when I know we’ll need something to go alongside soup or a big salad. My oldest uses leftovers for sandwiches the next day, which honestly might be the best version of it.
Why you will love this
- The dough is supposed to be wet and sticky, so there is nothing to overwork or mess up
- One bowl, one sheet pan, no mixer or loaf pan required
- About 15 minutes of actual hands-on time across the whole process
- The olive oil in the pan crisps the bottom crust in a way that’s hard to get any other way
- Leftover slices reheat in about 6 minutes and taste almost as good as fresh
Tips for success
- Check that your yeast is actually foamy after 5 to 7 minutes before you add the flour. If it just sits there flat, the yeast is dead and the bread won’t rise. Start over with a fresh packet.
- Don’t skip the 20-minute pan rest before dimpling. It lets the gluten relax so you can press the dough all the way to the edges without it snapping back. If you dimple too soon, the focaccia bakes up tight instead of light.
- Use more olive oil than feels reasonable on the pan. It should coat the bottom generously. That oil is what crisps the underside, and if you go light on it, the bottom turns pale and soft instead of golden.
- Press the dimples firmly, all ten fingers, going nearly all the way through the dough. Shallow dimples puff back up in the oven and you lose that signature texture on top.
What to serve with it
- It goes alongside almost any soup or stew, tomato, white bean, minestrone, the bread soaks up broth well
- Cut into long strips it works as an appetizer with a bowl of good olive oil for dipping
- Use day-old slices as the base for a sandwich, mozzarella and roasted red peppers are a natural fit
- Serve it as part of a board with cheese and olives if you need something to put out while dinner finishes
Substitutions
If you only have dried rosemary, use 1 teaspoon in place of the 1 tablespoon of fresh. It’s a little more concentrated so you don’t need to swap one for one. Coarse kosher salt works in place of flaky sea salt on top, just use a little less since it’s denser. For a slightly richer flavor, swap half the warm water for whole milk.
The toppings are flexible. Halved cherry tomatoes, sliced olives, or thin rings of red onion all work pressed lightly into the dough before baking. You can use them alongside the rosemary or instead of it. Just keep the flaky salt regardless, it makes a real difference on top.
Make-ahead and storage
To make this ahead, mix the dough and let it complete the first rise, then cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, press it into the oiled pan and let it sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes before dimpling and baking. The cold rise actually improves the flavor a bit. Leftover focaccia keeps loosely wrapped at room temperature for up to two days.
To reheat, put slices on a bare oven rack or sheet pan at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. It crisps right back up. Focaccia also freezes reasonably well cut into squares, wrapped tightly in plastic and then foil, for up to one month. Reheat straight from frozen at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
Simple Rosemary Focaccia
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes until it is foamy on top. This tells you the yeast is alive and active.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the kosher salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a sticky, shaggy dough forms. It will be too wet to knead, and that is exactly right. Do not add more flour.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until it has doubled and is full of bubbles. If your kitchen is cool, set the bowl in a slightly warm oven with just the light on.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto your rimmed sheet pan and use your hands or a pastry brush to coat the bottom and sides generously. Turn the risen dough out onto the oiled pan. Use your fingertips to gently stretch and press the dough toward the edges of the pan. It may spring back a little. That is fine. Just work slowly and let it relax.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This short rest is important. It lets the gluten relax so the focaccia bakes up light and airy rather than tight and dense. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees now.
- Remove the plastic wrap. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the surface of the dough. Then press all ten of your fingertips firmly into the dough, moving across the whole surface to create deep dimples. You should feel them go almost all the way through. Scatter the chopped rosemary evenly across the top and finish with the flaky salt.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are deeply browned and pulling away from the sides of the pan. The bottom should be crisp and golden as well. Slide a spatula under a corner to check.
- Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares or strips. Serve warm. The olive oil in the pan will have crisped the bottom crust beautifully, so make sure every piece gets a bit of that edge.
Notes
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