Classic Italian Olive Oil Herb Focaccia (Printable)
Classic Italian flatbread golden crisp outside, soft airy inside with olive oil fresh herbs
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 3/4 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
02 - 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
03 - 2 teaspoons salt
04 - 2 teaspoons sugar
05 - 1 packet (0.25 oz) instant dry yeast
06 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
→ Topping
07 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
09 - Flaky sea salt, to taste
# How To Cook:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, salt, sugar, and instant dry yeast until evenly distributed.
02 - Pour in the lukewarm water and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until a sticky, shaggy dough comes together.
03 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed.
04 - Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
05 - Generously coat a baking tray (approximately 12x16 inches) with olive oil. Gently transfer the risen dough onto the tray and press it out evenly using your fingertips, creating characteristic dimples across the surface.
06 - Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough, scatter the rosemary leaves evenly, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
07 - While the dough completes its second rise, preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
08 - Remove from the oven and allow the focaccia to cool slightly on the tray. Slice into squares or strips and serve warm.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The dimpled golden crust shatters between your teeth and gives way to a pillowy interior that tastes like something from a tiny bakery in Liguria.
- It uses pantry staples and rewards patience more than skill, making it the perfect bread to attempt on a lazy Sunday.
02 -
- Do not rush the first rise, because cutting it short leaves you with a dense, heavy slab instead of the cloudlike texture you are after.
- The dough is supposed to be wetter and stickier than you expect, so resist the urge to keep adding flour or you will end up with something closer to a brick.
03 -
- Oil the baking tray generously and without guilt, because that oil fries the bottom crust into the crispy golden layer that separates great focaccia from good focaccia.
- A light spray of water inside the oven during the first five minutes of baking creates steam that gives the crust an extra crackly finish.