Quick and Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
If you’ve never made focaccia bread before, this small-batch recipe is a good place to start. I developed it using just one cup of flour so beginners can practice making bread without spending much on ingredients. Once you feel comfortable working with the dough, you can make a larger batch.
This focaccia has a golden, lightly crisp crust and a soft, fluffy inside with a slight chew. It’s easy to eat, even for children and older adults. The dough is forgiving, and there’s no need for an overnight rise.
I also use this dough to make pizza at home. In fact, my family prefers it to regular pizza dough because it’s flavorful, easy to work with, and goes well with different toppings. If you enjoy baking bread, try my Japanese Milk Bread recipe next.
What is Special About This Recipe
- Perfect for beginners: The small batch lets you practice without using much flour.
- Easy to handle: The dough is moist and slightly tacky but doesn’t stick all over your hands.
- Soft and fluffy: The bread has a gentle chew without being tough.
- Same-day recipe: No overnight fermentation is needed.
- Makes pizza, too: Use the same dough for a thin or medium-thick pizza crust.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works well here. You don’t need special bread flour.
Active dry yeast: Helps the dough rise and gives the focaccia its light texture. Instant yeast can also be used.
Sugar: A small amount is added to the dough.
Salt: Brings out the flavor of the bread.
Olive oil: Adds flavor and helps give the focaccia its golden crust. You’ll use it in the dough, for greasing, and on top before baking.
Warm water: Brings the dough together. Depending on your flour, you may need slightly less than the amount listed in the recipe card.
Rosemary and flaky sea salt: These are my toppings for the focaccia. They add flavor without overpowering the bread.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Step 1: Prepare the dough
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, yeast, olive oil, and flour. Knead for five minutes, then add the salt and continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth.
The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky, but it shouldn’t cling to your hands.
Step 2: First rise
Lightly coat the dough with olive oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the dough has risen noticeably.
Step 3: Shape the focaccia
Gently press down the dough to release some of the air.
Transfer it to a greased 7-inch round pan or oven-safe skillet. Using your fingertips, gently spread the dough to fit the pan.
Step 4: Second rise
Cover the pan and let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes, or until it looks puffy.
Step 5: Add the toppings
Drizzle olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with rosemary and flaky sea salt. Using your fingertips, gently press dimples all over the surface.
Step 6: Bake
Bake on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 374°F (190°C) for 12–13 minutes, or until golden brown and as crisp as you like.
Transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack and let it cool slightly before slicing.
How Should Focaccia Dough Feel?
One thing beginners often worry about is whether the dough is too sticky.
After kneading, this dough should be smooth but still have some moisture. It will feel slightly tacky when you touch it, but it shouldn’t stick to your hands and make them messy.
Don’t keep adding flour just to make the dough completely dry. You want it to remain soft and easy to work with.
My Tips for Making Focaccia
- Don’t add too much flour. The dough should remain slightly tacky. Adding unnecessary flour can make the bread heavier.
- Let the dough rise properly. The first rise usually takes 1 to 1½ hours, but the temperature of your kitchen can affect the timing. Look at the dough rather than relying only on the clock.
- Oil the pan well. This helps prevent sticking and encourages a golden bottom crust.
- Be gentle when shaping. You don’t need to press hard or flatten the dough completely.
- Watch the baking time. Since this is a small focaccia, it bakes quickly. Remove it when the surface turns golden.
Can You Use This Focaccia Dough for Pizza?
Yes! This is actually the dough we use for homemade pizza in my house.
I like it more than regular pizza dough because it’s flavorful, forgiving, and complements different toppings.
To make pizza, prepare the dough as directed and let it complete the first rise. Instead of transferring it to the 7-inch focaccia pan, stretch it to the size and thickness you prefer.
You can make a thin crust or leave it thicker for a medium-thick pizza crust.
I also let the shaped pizza dough rise a second time because I want the crust to be light and fluffy. Once it has risen, add your favorite toppings and bake using the temperature and time appropriate for your pizza’s size and thickness.
What to Serve With Focaccia Bread
Focaccia is delicious served warm with olive oil or alongside soups and stews.
You can also slice it horizontally and use it for sandwiches. Leftover slices can be lightly toasted and topped with garlic and Parmesan cheese for a quick snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes. You can use the same amount of instant yeast. The dough may rise faster, so watch for it to increase in volume rather than following the suggested time exactly.
Why is my focaccia dense?
The dough may not have risen enough, or too much flour may have been added during kneading. Let the dough rise properly and keep it slightly tacky.
Can I make focaccia dough ahead of time?
Yes. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it overnight. Let it come toward room temperature before shaping, and continue with the second rise.
How to Store Focaccia Bread
Storing at room temperature: Let the bread cool completely, then wrap it tightly or keep it in an airtight container for up to two days.
Freezing baked focaccia bread: Wrap the cooled focaccia tightly and freeze for up to two months for best quality.
To reheat: Warm it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for a few minutes until heated through and slightly crisp again.
More Bread Recipes to Try
⭐Did You Make This Recipe?
If you tried this focaccia bread recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience.
Quick and Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup warm water you may need slightly less
For the topping
- Flaky sea salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, yeast, olive oil, and flour. Knead for five minutes, then add the salt and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- Lightly oil the dough and cover the bowl. Leave it in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until noticeably risen.
- Gently press the dough down to release some of the air. Transfer it to a greased 7-inch round pan or oven-safe skillet.
- Gently spread the dough evenly in the pan. Cover and let it rise again for about 30 minutes, or until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 374°F (190°C).
- Drizzle the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and flaky sea salt. Use your fingertips to gently make dimples across the surface.
- Bake on the middle rack for 12–13 minutes, or until golden and as crisp as you like.
- Transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack and let it cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- The dough should feel smooth and moist, with a slight tackiness, but shouldn’t cling to your hands.
- Avoid adding too much flour during kneading.
- For extra flavor, you can use garlic-infused olive oil in the dough or drizzle it over the focaccia before baking.
- To make pizza, stretch the dough to your preferred thickness after the first rise, let it rise again, then add toppings and bake.
- To prepare ahead, cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it overnight.
- Let it come to room temperature before shaping and completing the second rise.
- In the step-by-step images, I’m showing how thick the focaccia bread looks when baked in a 7-inch pan. However, throughout the post, you can see images of the same focaccia bread recipe, with the dough stretched a little more, to show you that the focaccia bread still stays fluffy and tender and is perfect as a pizza crust.
This looks like perfect focaccia. This is by far one of my favorite breads!
Can I freeze focaccia
Yes, you can place the bread in a Ziploc bag and freeze it for three to four months.
It’s my favorite, glad you liked the pics!
You did such a great job Muna! I love focaccia and yours look incredible!
My mouth is watering just by looking at it!!!
Gorgeous focaccia, Muna! This is one thing I’ve wanted to try making for a long time, but I still haven’t got the chance. Thanks for the reminder of how delicious it is! Your photos are stunning!
Thanks guys, I appreciate your kind words!
This has always been a favorite bread…looks fantastic!
Looks Fabulous…
Focaccia has always been my favorite….
You did a great job.
Thanks, I’m still working on my photography skill 🙂 believe me this bread looks even better than the picture.
looks brilliant munaty! very nice series on bread (:
Thanks Shu, I want to add more bread recipes, I love baking so much 🙂
Beautiful! This focaccia is perfect.
Cheers,
Rosa
No luck with this recipe! One cup of flour is not enuf. I just kept adding til I got the right consistency. Also baking temp was too low. My bread never did brown. It’s not a keeper for me!
Hi Lori, This recipe is for a small size Focaccia bread, hence I have mentioned that it can be baked in a 6-inch pan. You can simply double the ingredients for a bigger Focaccia bread! Usually, the bread doesn’t brown because the heat in the oven is not evenly distributed, you can turn off the oven and turn on the broiler 3 minutes before the baking time is up to help the bread brown evenly. Hope this helped.
I’m just curious why the video shows the steps almost completely backwards off what the written recipe says to do?
Hi Aaron! The result will be the same but I had some readers complaining about the dough not rising and I know that the salt is the culprit, so in the video, I added the salt later while kneading, but if you following the written recipe and the video will result in a delicious Focaccia bread 🙂
Easy and delicious recipe. Does not make enough for my family so will double the recipe next time.
Yes, I followed the written directions. I did not watch the video until I was done. Different directions in the video.
Does it matter which oil I use? I never ever have olive oil on hand! Thanks so much ❤️
Olive oil brings out a flavorful Focaccia bread, but yes, you can use any cooking oil to make this bread.
Love all your recipes, my 13 year old daughter always follow your recipes.
Wow! Thanks for making my day, I’m happy that your family enjoyed my recipes 🙂
Just made this recipe for the third time and it turned out great. I have shared as a tear off with dipping oil twice. Going to use with soup today. Nice job !
Hi Beth, thanks for trying the recipe. I’m glad that you have enjoyed it 🙂
The Focaccia bread looks good to taste. You really described the recipe in a straightforward manner.
This looks simple and easy to do. I haven’t tried baking bread before but this recipe I’d definitely consider making plus all the ingredients are available in the kitchen except for the active dry yeast and rosemary. Can I use fresh oregano leaves as substitute for the rosemary?
Hi Aleeza! You can use oregano and the bread will still taste good. Let me know how you like it 🙂
Wow! This is timely. I have always wanted to make my focaccia bread and here I stumbled upon your post. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Can’t wait to try making one. Wish me luck. 🙂
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and if you have any suggestions, I would like to hear it 🙂
It looks so fresh and yummy. I like how it turned out. It’s definitely worth the try.
Focaccia is amazing, at times I use the dough when making pizza. I hope you give it a try!
It looks so nice to eat. I have never tried this bread but now I might fr your recipe of this bread soon.
Hi Khushboo, you should give it a try! This recipe is for a small size bread, so you can practice making it 🙂
Totally addicted to focaccia bread and always order copious amounts at any Italian restaurant. The herbs and oil just add to its deliciousness.
Same here Kemi, I love focaccia and try to make different versions of it!
Oh my goodness this looks delicious. I’m going to have to save this to try for my husband, he loves bread!
I’m sure he will enjoy this bread!
I have never made a bread at home but my neices love baking breads. And focaccia bread is one of my favourites. I will share this recipe with them.
Thanks Monidipa 🙂
Ouuu thanks for sharing. I will have to try this.
Made this tonight. Loved the ease of the ingredients. For my first time making bread it came out pretty good, not as brown as I would have hoped. But will be trying it again. Thank you so much’
You are welcome Roobye, glad you liked baking this focaccia bread!
Tried focaccia when I was in Pisa. Never cooked at home. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely try!
The ingredients are easy to follow, but I have realize that one cup of flour was not enough. It was so sticky that it did not come into a smooth texture. I actually had to double the flour. But after the kneading with the flour increased, and adding the oil it seem to be the right consistency. I hope that it rises! I will keep you updated on how it turned out.
Hi Lexi, when kneading it’s best to add the liquids gradually while kneading since every brand of flour requires more or less liquid. This besides kneading the dough for a longer time (7 to 10 minutes) will turn it into a smooth dough. Adding more flour and oil will result in a dense bread. I hope this helped!
Made this with dinner tonight and it was wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect! I did not have rosemary, so I sprinkled an Italian Herb mixture on top. Perfect! Thank you!
Thank you for trying the recipe and for your feedback Nana, I’m glad that you have enjoyed it 🙂
I have already tried this recipe 3 times…. delicious each time.. thanks so much for posting. I was wondering, could I use this recipe as a pizza dough? I thought of doubling the ingredients…what do you suggest? Thanks 😊😊
I do use it as a pizza dough and my family love it, go ahead and try it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the flavor 🙂
What a great way to start out the new year! I’ve never made focaccia at home.
Glad you liked it 😊
Love how fool proof this recipe is. Turns out perfect every time 🙂
Thank you so much for the feedback 😊
Haven’t tried the recipe yet – I’m trying to watch the video, but the “video” link doesn’t seem to be working. Do I need to subscribe to something in order to watch? I’d be very grateful for anyone’s help with this!
Hi Nadia, I have tried the video, and it is working fine. It is located in the recipe card but if you have activated an Ad Blocker then you won’t be able to view it.
Hi Muna,
This recipe is amazing.
I tried it last night. As I was making it I realized that there was not enough dough to fill the rectangle pan I wanted to use so I made 3 separate balls in 3 separate bowls. After the first rising period I put one ball in to a 7 inch iron skillet and then the other two balls I put in to the rectangle and and then just spread the two balls in to that. The focaccia was AMAZING so light and tasty and delish. I did have to cook it for 25 minutes (not 12-14 mins) but I know every oven is different. (25 mins on 375)
I am in the process of making it again tonight, two balls that I have spread in to one larger rectangle pan. It just came out of the oven and it looks and smells amazing.
QUESTION: In order to make just one big ball of dough to fit the larger rectangle pan should I just DOUBLE ingredients? so for example 3 teaspoons of yeast, 1 cup of warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 table spoons of oil and 2 cups of flour? Then let first proofing be for 1 1/2 hours as per original recipe?
Thank You so much,
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey, Thank you for the comment. For a large pan, I think it is better to tripple the recipe. The time of roofing the dough should stay the same 😊. Hope this helped
i love this little focaccia recipe, perfect for a household of 1 or 2! and easily doubled if you want to make ahead and freeze one.
Thank you so much Lauren, I’m glad you liked my recipe 😊
Fast easy and I just add different things to the top. I add cheese sliced grape tomatoes fresh basil and occasionally kalimada (sp) grapes
Thank you so much for your comment, I’m happy that you liked the recipe 😊.
Super simple and easy recipe, quick also.I’ve made it numerous times with different toppings. Always with great results! Delicious and tender.
Hi. Made this tonight was a little bit pale looking but the bottom turned a nice crispy brown bottom since I cooked it at the bottom rack for 5 minutes before I moved it up to the top. Anyway to make this world golden brown the next time?
If you have a fan in your oven, turn it on for better circulation, otherwise, the last two minutes of baking turn on the broiler.
I will be making this again and again. I did 1 1/2 of the recipe to accommodate my slightly larger cast iron pan. I added some minced garlic and minced onion to the dough. Put basil and rosemary on top with some fresh grated parmesan and grape tomatoes. Yum! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m glad you liked the recipe Gina, and thank you so much for the serving suggestion, it sounds super delicious ☺️