Rosemary Focaccia Bread

This fluffy and flavourful rosemary focaccia bread is as delicious as it is beautiful. The perfect amount of olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt make this bread a real treat for the palette.

Once a week my toddlers and I used to go for a weekly walk to our local Italian bakery to get some cookies and their made in house focaccia bread. We loved this bread so much that we would end up eating a loaf over the course of two days.

Since Covid-19 the bakery has been closed and we were unable to get this bread. I had such cravings for it that I decided I will keep trying until I came up with the perfect Focaccia bread. After multiple failed attempts, I finally have the perfect recipe!

The secret to this focaccia bread is olive oil, so much olive oil that you might think it’s to much…trust me, it’s not.

How to Make Focaccia Bread

To make this focaccia bread I use my stand mixer with the dough attachment. You can make it by hand as well. To do it by hand use a large bowl, stir ingredients together with a large spoon and then knead by hand.

I prefer using the stand mixer with my toddlers because it limits the amount of flour throwing (they know they can’t put their hands in the bowl when the mixing head is down).

Making the Dough

In the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir gently with a spoon and let sit for 10 minutes or until a light foam is formed.

Add in olive oil, salt, and flour. Turn mixer on low until everything is combined then speed it up to the medium setting.

Knead the dough in the mixer for 5-7 minutes. You want to dough to pop back up when you press on it with your finger. If dough is too sticky add some more flour is small increments.

Once dough is properly kneaded form dough into a ball with your hands. Grease the mixing bowl with olive oil, add dough back in, and grease the top of the dough ball.

Place a dish towel over the bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

Shaping the Bread

Once dough has risen, add 3 tbsp olive oil in a 9 x 13 inch pan or the cast iron skillet. Place dough in the pan and flatten with your hands until the dough covers the bottom of the pan. Be sure to flip the stretched dough a few times to allow the olive oil to get on both sides.

Then gently press into the dough with your fingertips to create the little impressions in the focaccia bread. You want to do this many times until the dough covered with impressions. Bake for 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown.

Baking in a 9×13 Pan

Remove the tea towel and drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil on top of the dough (I know it seems like a lot of oil, but trust me). Coarsely chop up three springs of fresh rosemary. Evenly sprinkle the chopped rosemary an sea salt on top of the dough.

Baking in a Cast Iron Skillet

After rising is done preheat oven to 400F. Remove the tea towel and drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil on top of the dough (I know it seems like a lot of oil, but trust me). Coarsely chop up three springs of fresh rosemary. Evenly sprinkle the chopped rosemary an sea salt on top of the dough. Bake for 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown.

After bread is cooked, removed from the oven drizzle another 2 tbsp of olive oil over the bread. All bread to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

More Bread Recipes to Try

• Pretzel Buns
• Rainbow Tie Dye Bread
• Homemade Soft Pretzels

Bake them on your own or bake them with your kids, either way I’m sure you’ll love with this Rosemary Focaccia Bread!

If you make this bread you can tag me on Instagram @jessiebakestreats and leave me a review below. I’d love to hear from you!

For more ideas you can follow me on Pinterest.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Jessie M

This fluffy and flavourful focaccia bread is as delicious as it is beautiful. The perfect amount of olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt make this bread a real treat for the palette.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Rise Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

• 9 x 13 inch pan OR 10inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  

• 1 & 1/2 C warm water
• 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 4 C all purpose flour
• 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil plus extra for the pan and drizzling
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 springs of fresh rosemary
• 1 & 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

 

Making the Dough

• In the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir gently with a spoon and let sit for 10 minutes or until a light foam is formed.
• Add in olive oil, salt, and flour. Turn mixer on low until everything is combined then speed it up to the medium setting.
• Knead the dough in the mixer for 5 minutes. The dough should come together into a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. It's okay if it sticks to the bottom a little. You can tell it's fully kneaded when the dough to pop back up when you press on it with your finger.
• Once dough is properly kneaded form dough into a ball with your hands. Grease the mixing bowl with olive oil, add dough back in, and grease the top of the dough ball.
• Place a dish towel over the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.

Shaping the Bread

• Once dough has risen, add 3 tbsp olive oil in a 9 x 13 inch pan or the cast iron skillet. Place dough in the pan and flatten with your hands until the dough covers the bottom of the pan. Be sure to flip the stretched dough a few times to allow the olive oil to get on both sides.
• Using your finger tips gently press in on the dough to create lots of cavities. Press your fingers to the bottom without breaking threw. You will want to do this a couple of times so the dough has lots of impressions.
• Cover again with a tea towel and place somewhere warm to rise for another hour.
• After an hour of rising create a few more impressions with your fingers in the dough.

Baking in the 9×13 inch pan

• After rising is done preheat oven to 425 F
• Remove the tea towel and drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil on top of the dough (I know it seems like a lot of oil, but trust me). Coarsely chop up three springs of fresh rosemary. Evenly sprinkle the chopped rosemary an sea salt on top of the dough.
• Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Baking in a Cast Iron Skillet

• After rising is done preheat oven to 400F
• Bake for 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
• Remove the tea towel and drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil on top of the dough (I know it seems like a lot of oil, but trust me). Coarsely chop up three springs of fresh rosemary. Evenly sprinkle the chopped rosemary an sea salt on top of the dough.
• After bread is cooked, removed from the oven drizzle another 2 tbsp of olive oil over the bread.
• All bread to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
• Enjoy!

Notes

This bread is best served the day it is made. You can store it in an airtight container/plastic wrap at room temperature for 3 days.

 

 

 

Do not substitute the fresh rosemary for dried rosemary. The dried rosemary flavour is overpowering. 

 

Do not skimp on the olive oil, I know it seems like a lot but it is what gives the bread it’s amazing flavour. 

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