Traditional Italian focaccia. Fluffy olive oil bread topped with fragrant rosemary and sea salt.
There really is nothing better than homemade bread. Freshly baked, it always tastes amazing. Focaccia is one of the bread recipes I make most often – baking it every week, usually at the weekends when I have more time. Sliced up it makes a brilliant light lunch or appetiser served as part of an antipasto. I’ve already shared a few focaccia recipes on the blog, but this time I wanted to share a basic rosemary focaccia. I love the simplicity of this bread, and of course the beautiful aromatic flavour.
I made this focaccia for a recipe test run a few weekends back. To say the least, it went down a treat and got devoured as quick as anything. With just four people in our household, it vanished pretty quickly soon after baking – which is definitely a great sign! Hands down this is my favourite focaccia recipe!
I kept the flavours very simple. Rosemary and sea salt is a classic focaccia topping and one of our favourites. We use homegrown rosemary, we took a cutting from the villa we stayed at a few years ago in Tuscany, we planted when we got home and ever since it has flourished, and produces enough rosemary for our culinary needs each year!
This focaccia starts with an olive oil bread dough. I use extra virgin olive oil which adds real depth of flavour, gives the bread that authentic taste and keeps it soft and fluffy. You can prepare the dough by hand (the traditional way) or use an electric mixer like I do. Both ways will work just as well, producing a fluffy and crisp focaccia.
You can top the focaccia with anything you like. Bake it until golden and then tear and dip into some good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour
7g (1 packet) fast action dried yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
50ml (3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
300ml (1/2 pint) warm water – make sure it isn’t boiling
Toppings:
1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
A few sprigs fresh rosemary
Course sea salt, for sprinkling
Method:
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour. Add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other. Add the sugar and then mix to combine.
- Mix together the water and oil and then add the flour. Using a wooden spoon mix together until a soft and sticky dough comes together. Then lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough by hand until smooth and elastic for 10 minutes. You can also knead the dough in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.
- Once kneaded, lightly oil a bowl and add the dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size – this will take around an hour.
- When doubled in size lightly grease a baking tin (approx. 22cm x 32cm) with olive oil (1-2 tbsp). Add the dough and press out into the tin until even – it doesn’t need to look perfect! Cover the tray and again leave in a warm place until doubled in size. (45-60 minutes approx.)
- Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Press small holes into the dough with your fingertips. Poke the rosemary in the holes and scatter over the oregano and sea salt. Drizzle the focaccia with a little extra oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and lightly coloured. Once the bread sounds hollow, remove from tin and cool on a wire rack. Slice up and enjoy anyway you like Serve the focaccia dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It can be served both at room temperature and gently warmed in the oven. Both ways are delicious!
Note: The focaccia is best eaten on the day of making, but it will keep in a bread bag or airtight container for an extra day.
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Gorgeous 🙂
Thanks Elaine!
Love this.
Thanks Ashu!
I’ll add some balsamic vinegar into the dip, yum!
Thank you Jasline! Love balsamic and olive oil dip, especially delicious with this focaccia! 😀
Oh this bread is just calling my name, Jessica! I love the rosemary and sea salt combo. I’ve only made focaccia bread once, so I definitely need to change that. Gorgeous pictures, too!
Thanks so much Gayle! Rosemary and sea salt is an amazing combo and focaccia is definitely great fun to make! Thanks for the lovely comment! 😀
Beautiful foccacia, it looks perfect and delicious.
Thanks Suzanne! 😀
This focaccia looks amazing, Jess! I haven’t made focaccia in such a long time…I need to fix that. Totally pinning this recipe to make…soon! 🙂
Thanks so much David! Glad you like it – also thanks for pinning! 😀
I’ve been planning to make focaccia for a month a so, but as you may guess I haven’t succeeded yet:) All right, at least I’ve got a chance to enjoy it here! Well done indeed!
Thanks so much Ben! You really should give homemade focaccia a go, so tasty and definitely worth the effort. Glad you like it – thanks for the lovely comment! 😀
This focaccia is stunning Jessica! Rosemary is one of my favourite herbs. What a beautiful recipe, you are so talented!
Thanks so much Harriet Emily! I love anything with rosemary – definitely my favourite herb! So happy you like the focaccia, thank you for your compliment! That means the world to me. 😀
Focaccia is my favorite kind of bread! It’s just so fluffy and moist.
Thanks Nicole!
Hi Jess, This is my first time here. We love Focaccia at home but I have never baked one myself. I usually just buy..my quest for a good recipe brought me here. I love your blog. Would love to give this recipe a try. I have a question though, what is strong white bread flour? Is that different from regular bread flour? Can I use White flour instead?
Thanks!
Hi! Thanks so much for your comment – I’m really happy you like my blog.
Regarding the flour, strong white bread flour is very similar to regular bread flour – however it just has a higher gluten content and is best to use when making bread. You can definitely use just white flour for this recipe too. I reckon that would work just as well.
Hope that helps! Enjoy the recipe, do let me know if you like it! 😀
Thank you Jess. I will look for strong white bread flour.. will let you know how it turns out!!
No problem – enjoy! 😀
Yummmmmm
Thanks Cam!
Gah! I could eat this whole thing! Nothing beats freshly baked bread, and focaccia is one of my favourites.
Thanks so much Amanda! 😀
Oh yum! Focaccia is one of my favourite things to bake at home! The only problem is, it is so delicious straight from the oven that I can easily eat like half a loaf! Yours looks smashing!
Thanks Jessica! I’m the same, I could eat focaccia or any homemade bread straight from the oven! 😉 Glad you like it!
I love focaccia and yours looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing my lovey. I’ll have to try making my own soon! X
Thanks so much Mel! I hope you love it! 😀 x
Perfectly made! And rosemary focaccia is one of my favorites 🙂
Thanks so much Liz! 😀
I NEED to make focaccia! Yours is giving me envy- delicious and perfectly cooked 🙂
Thanks Medha! 😀
The texture on this is just lovely and light Jessica! And rosemary and sea salt is such a classic combo 🙂
Thanks Lorraine! 😀
I love this Jess! I love focaccia but I’ve only made it once. Thanks for the reminder to try it again!!
Thanks so much Maya! 😀
Focaccia is one of my favorite breads, and salted with rosemary is the best! This looks amazing, Jess, and making me wish I had some! 🙂
Thanks Marcie!
I’m just drooling looking at those photos, we are going to have to make focaccia bread this week !!!
Thank you so much! 😀
This looks incredible, Jess! Focaccia is one of my favorite breads but I still haven’t tried making it at home! Yours sounds perfect! I love the rosemary and sea salt!
Thanks Kelly! 😀
I will come to your house every weekend for a slice or two of this!
Haha – thanks Tandy! 😀 x
Jessica,
I love focaccia and yours looks fantastic! Love the use of rosemary!
Thanks Kathy! 😀
absolutely nothing better than homemade bread! love! and rosemary focaccia is one of my faves!
Thanks Alice! Homemade bread is the best, it always tastes so great! 😀
This looks just perfect, Jess! Focaccia is fast becoming my favourite bread – I just love it toasted with a bit of olive oil and salt. I’ve been wanting to have a go at making my own for a while, so thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Thanks Helen! 😀
I love savory bread and this one looks wonderful! The recipe looks fast and easy. I’m making this this weekend for our brunch. It sounds so delicious!
Thanks Maggie! 😀
Words cannot describe how much I love focaccia bread. It is one of my most fond food memories of spending a semester in Italy. I seriously can’t wait to try this recipe. Pinning of course!
Thanks so much Kathleen! I would love to spend a semester in Italy, sounds like an amazing experience! I really hope you enjoy it! Thanks for pinning too! 😀
You are so right! Freshly baked bread is my kind of comfort food and definitely my guilty pleasure. It’s just so delicious! Especially foccachia. Really! Your foccachia looks amazing 😛
Thanks so much Josefine! Bread is definitely one of the best comfort foods! Glad you like the focaccia! 😀
This focaccia bread is gorgeous!! 🙂
Thanks so much, Arpita! 😀
I could eat focaccia all day every day! The rosemary twist gives it such an added comfort food flavor.
Thanks Joanne! 😀
Homemade bread is THE best, I totally agree! And focaccia happens to be one of my favorites! But, focaccia PLUS rosemary AND sea salt? OMG, YES! LOOOOOOVE! I could eat this fresh from the oven, all by itself, for a meal! 🙂 Pinned! Cheers, girl!
Thanks so much Cheyanne! Focaccia is definitely the best bread – always taste so good! 😀 I’m really happy you like it – thanks for pinning, lovely!
I’ve just had a go at this focaccia today and it’ll be up on my blog tomorrow (linked to yours of course)! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe! It was my first time making focaccia and it was great to have it turn out so well 🙂
Hi Lauren! I’m really happy you made it and it turned out well. 😀 I look forward to reading your blog post!
Thank you for such a fab recipe Jess!
Agreed! Homemade bread really is the absolute best! I still have yet to make focaccia – which is so silly! Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs – I know I would love this!
Thanks Ashley! 😀
yum! I love focaccia! You just made my day!
Thanks Marcela! Glad you like it! 😀
I love making this – thanks for reminding me about it!
That’s great – love making focaccia! 😀
Thanks for trying the recipe! It looks fab! 😀
I love it! I love focaccias!!
Thanks Ivette! 😀
Wow, might have to try this out at my Wine Bar. Looks wonderful 🙂
Thank you! 😀
Hi Jess…where i live there’s nothing like strong wheat flour….what can I use instead? Also can you please tell me how to raise the yeast? Thanks.
Hi – you can substitute the strong white bread flour for regular plain/all-purpose flour. The yeast is mixed with all the dough ingredients which are listed in the recipe. As the dough is left the yeast will start working and the dough will rise.
I just made this today and it came out fantastic
I’m glad you enjoyed the focaccia, Robert! 🙂
Can I let the focaccia rise overnight? I’ve made it today, wanted to wait to bake it until tomorrow to eat it fresh out of the oven!
Hi Deanna – I’m not entirely sure how it would turn out as I’ve never tried doing this myself. You can rise the dough overnight in the fridge, this will prevent over-fermentation and the bread will have even better flavour. Presumably you’ve already made the dough, if so at this point leave the dough in the fridge overnight then once you’re thinking of baking it you’ll want to spread the dough out into the baking tin and then leave it out at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until it’s doubled in size. After this continue to follow the recipe method. Hope that answers you question, let me know how you get on and whether you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂