Focaccia Bread

If you’ve ever been put off from making homemade focaccia bread because you think it’s overly complicated, this is the recipe for you; it’s straightforward, includes simple ingredients and describes step-by-step what you need to do to bake this impressively delicious Italian bread.

Ingredients:

• 500g white bread flour, sifted

• 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• 300ml warm water

• 2 teaspoons fine salt

• 1-2 heaped teaspoons sea salt flakes (Maldon salt) — to taste

• 1-2 tablespoons dried rosemary — to taste

Extras:

• flour for kneading

• olive oil for greasing bowls/baking sheets and brushing/drizzling before baking, etc

Directions (takes approx. 2h 20mins):

In a small jug, combine the warm water and yeast. Set aside and leave to bubble/become fragrant for about 5-10 minutes.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine the sifted flour, salt, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the water/yeast on a medium speed until the dough forms a ball around the hook — this should take 5-6 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured, clean surface and knead for a few minutes — add a little flour if it starts to stick. Form the dough into a ball and place it into a large bowl that has been brushed with some olive oil (lightly coat all the insides). Cover it with cling wrap and leave it to double in size for about an hour in a warm, dry place.

**If you need some tips about how to knead dough, watch this.

Brush a medium-sized baking tray with some olive oil. Place the dough onto the tray and press to flatten/spread it out towards the edges of the tray; keeping it about an inch thick. Make ½ inch deep dimples all over the dough by pushing your fingertips into it. Brush a little more olive oil on it then loosely cover with cling wrap and return to a warm, dry place to rise for 40 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 450°F (220°C).

Remove and discard the cling wrap. Put a few more dimples into the dough’s surface then drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and dried rosemary to taste — I tend to eyeball the amounts I use. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove bread from the baking tray to let it cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with garlic-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip (or any other way you like it).

If you have a go at this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

Further Info:

27 Easy & Delicious Focaccia Toppings – Italian Recipe Book

I recently updated this post [2021] and lost my original photos so have used stock images.

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