Making focaccia bread at home is very easy. It's hard to mess it up with all the oil involved and not to mention your dough hook does all the work.
After I posted a cheater's focaccia recipe where you use store-bought pizza dough as your base, I had a barrage of emails asking me for the recipe I use to make real, homemade focaccia when I have the time.
This bread does require a double rise so it is more time consuming but you are rewarded with a soft, yummy bread that unfortunately you will not be able to stop eating. Make it at your own risk.
I made this plain version because we were going to use it to dunk in soup but normally I would toss in roasted garlic cloves to the dough while it's kneading and top it with sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary or any other herbs or onions I have around. The possibilities are endless. You end up with a very impressive loaf no one can believe you made yourself.
I highly recommend making this recipe even if you have never baked bread, it's so simple. I'm sure you will find success.
Combine the warm water (by warm I mean body temperature, you should be able to place your finger in the water and not get burned and it should not feel cold), yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm (not hot or cool) place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5-6 minutes on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it a couple of times, sprinkling with flour. The dough is a "more tacky" kind of dough so rolling it around in some flour a few times until you can handle it is normal.
Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (as shown), 1 to 2 hours.
Coat a jelly roll pan (it must have sides) with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Do not worry that this is an excessive amount of oil, focaccia is an oily crusted bread, which is why it is so good. The oil will be sucked up into the bread during baking, making it delicious.
Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan (it will eventually go into place). As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the through the dough. It sounds strange but when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.
Put the dough in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425o F.
Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top.
Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. It does brown fast towards the end so keep your eye on it. Remove the focaccia from the oven and resist every urge to tear into it immediately. Let it cool keeping the steam inside and intact, leaving you with a very moist bread. Carefully remove from the jelly roll pan whole after it has been out of the oven for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Easy, Homemade Focaccia Bread
From Chef Anne Burrell
1-3/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
5 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 Tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Combine the warm water (by warm I mean body temperature, you should be able to place your finger in the water and not get burned and it should not feel cold), yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm (not hot or cool) place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5-6 minutes on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it a couple of times, sprinkling with flour. The dough is a "more tacky" kind of dough so rolling it around in some flour a few times until you can handle it is normal.
Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (as shown), 1 to 2 hours.
Coat a jelly roll pan (it must have sides) with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Do not worry that this is an excessive amount of oil, focaccia is an oily crusted bread, which is why it is so good. The oil will be sucked up into the bread during baking, making it delicious.
Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan (it will eventually go into place). As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the through the dough. It sounds strange but when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.
Put the dough in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425o F.
Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top.
Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. It does brown fast towards the end so keep your eye on it. Remove the focaccia from the oven and resist every urge to tear into it immediately. Let it cool keeping the steam inside and intact, leaving you with a very moist bread. Carefully remove from the jelly roll pan whole after it has been out of the oven for 10 minutes.
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I just saw Anne make this over the weekend (on her show). Looks like some yummy stuff.
Oh how wonderful! I can smell it through the screen;)
That does look good, with all the olive oil on the bottom. I imagine it makes a great crust!
I’ve had fun making foccacia with my grandsons. Their favorite part is the dimpling, of course!
You (and my mother) make bread-making look so easy! And I know – for me at least – it’s not!
Delicious!
Perfect foccacia Cathy. It is nice that this version will be easily adapted at home.
Foccacia lends itself to so many different applications and flavours. Love it:D Thanks for sharing.
I’m in a bread baking frame of mind today and this hits the spot. I like the addition of garlic and tomatoes.
I. Love. Bread. Thank you for this recipe.
Oh this does sound easy! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Hi Cathy! I love foccacia and am always looking at how others make it!
Thanks for this! And isn’t that chickpea salad good!! I make it all the time!
Very intriguing recipe Cathy. I love the TLC that went into the entire process, and the end is certainly rewarding. excellent focaccia!
That looks amazing!!
Oh goodness!! I was shocked at how much oil was in that pan, but i got over it when I saw the final product. I want to make this!
Is it seriously possible for me to smell this?? I totally think I can! Your pictures make me want to just reach out and grab a piece right now! A really big piece, please.
I have already printed up the last 2 recipes to make soon, this looks and sounds so delicious ( and fattening) and I love a good bread recipe!
‘i’m sure you will find success.’
in other words, i will fail–i tend to bungle up the things that normal people find easy.
Cathy, that looks fab! I need to make some, it has been ages since I have. I already like your recipe better.
Ooh I ate plenty of this while in Boston. I really like that in Boston when they give you the bread with that little bowl of olive oil for dipping they throw in a few olives too. So good.
Oink! Looks great. I think I’ll make this tonight! How is it as pizza base-like with sauce and cheese and toppings? Thanks for sharing.
If you were going to add tomato or basil to this guy, would you do it half way through cooking or before you popped it into the oven? If I can somehow make my own veggie covered focaccia bread at home, I’ll be in heaven!
Now I have my proof! You are trying to kill me with goodness and yumminess.
I am turning you in, right after I make this bread.
Oh boy, my mouth is watering now. I’ve gotta make this NOW.
Mmmm, oily crusted bread…
Oh, right. Looks great!
I love focaccia. I used to make it quite often years ago because of it’s wonderful ease of making – and back in those days I had no dough hook! Now I have a dough hook, I should try doing this again. This is just begging to be split and filled with a slice of prosciutto!
You make it look so easy… and delicious! Hope the fencing is going well!
Your previous post with the braised short ribs looked absolutely DEE-LISHHH!
And this post is full of eye candy, the way you can see that olive oil dripping throughout the baked bread. It would be absolutely wonderful with my Italian Potato and Kale soup (Tuscany) that I am having for dinner tonight. However when I see the words, “yeast”, “rising”, “kneading”,
“floured surface”, I get intimidated and shy away from anything that requires such tasks. I am just no good at that kind of baking. So I will have my bought Italian bread and drizzle some olive oil on it, and try to get a similar, yet less tasty, soup sopper.
Thanks for the recipes, though, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos.
I’ve never made focaccia – this must change. I am loving your recipe.
Oh my gosh, that looks amazing! If all my baking supplies weren’t packed away, I would be assembling immediately. Maybe in a few weeks after we’re done moving!
Holy cow! That is AMAZING! I never would have thought to make it from scratch!
I made this today, so easy and incredible…wow!
Thanks for your recipe. I am going to try this. It is really easy to prepare this as you gave a detailed and pictorial step by step instruction.
That looks positively luscious!
I love focaccia bread. Even though it already has a lot of oil in/on it, I’d dip it in even more LOL. 
Jenn
Looks so good! Thanks.
That’s similar to my recipe. I use a 13×9 baking pan and it rises to fill the pan. Olive oil is the big secret, indeed!
This homemade focaccia bread sounds amazing!
Second time should be a charm! Cathy, You’ve not only made the bread look beautiful, you’ve made it look easy. I hope your day is going well. Blessings…Mary
Give me that and some of those root beer short ribs and I can die happy.
The oil in the pan is beautiful. You’ve made me want to go bake some bread!
Hey! I could even make this! It looks so good. And I totally could not resist tearing into it the minute it comes out of the oven!
This recipe is outstanding. Your lovely post made me want to try it, and the fantastic results will keep it in our family’s bread rotation.
http://jaimecooks.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/easy-homemade-focaccia-bread/
Wow I had no idea there was that much oil involved! Makes me feel guilty for eating so much!
I knew I wanted to make some sort of bread this weekend – definitely going to try this one!
Happy Saturday!
I made this wonderful bread yesterday and it was TO DIE FOR!!!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe
I added fresh rosemary, cracked black peppercorn and parmesan cheese to the dough prior to the rise. Delish!!!
You couldn’t ask for an easier bread dough to work with! Try this now, it’s perfection!
My first attempt at focaccia was a miserable failure, and I entirely fault the recipe (it was from an Antipasto cookbook, no less!). There was too much flour and not enough liquid, so the whole thing was very dry and tasted like flour.
Your recipe looks great, and I’ll have to try it!
Mmmm … I love the yeasty smell of focaccia. Just give me a little pool of extra virgin olive oil and I’ll eat the entire thing! YUM!
I made the bread this weekend and it was a HUGE HIT!! my first time making it and it wont be my last. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!!!
I can smell the yeast; I can taste the doughy goodness. Oh man, this bread looks too good to believe.
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