Homemade Focaccia Bread : Deliciously Simple Recipe
Author
Jess Emin
A food photographer, food stylist, and food TV host whose life revolves around food.
If you want to learn how to make bread, I think homemade focaccia bread is the perfect place to start. Some breads require a lot of work, and while this focaccia recipe takes time, the folds and rises that are needed to get that classic soft and airy texture are totally reasonable. If you’re a beginner, this is an easy focaccia bread recipe, and hopefully making it will guide you through all the tips you need to set yourself up for success.
Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (500 g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1tsp quick-rise instant dry yeast (5 g)
- 450 ml water, room temperature (just over 1 1/2 cups)
- 80 ml olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast and mix well. The bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to rise to 2–3 times its original size.
- Add the room-temperature water (slightly warm, not hot) and stir with a spoon until no dry flour remains.
- Add ⅓ of the olive oil and mix well, kneading lightly with your hands for 1–2 minutes until the dough is infused
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Remove the plastic wrap. With oiled fingertips, fold the dough over itself by lifting, stretching, and folding the edge of the dough toward the opposite side of the bowl. Turn the bowl and repeat until you’ve made a full circle of folds (about 4–6 folds total).
- Cover again and let rest at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Repeat the folding process, then cover tightly once more and refrigerate for 18–36 hours.
- The dough is ready when it is alive with fermentation and has puffed up to 2–3 times its original size.
Baking the Focaccia
- Preheat the oven to 500°F at least 1 hour in advance, with the rack in the centre.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes
- Dust the top of the dough with flour, then gently scrape and pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, shape the dough by tucking the dough underneath itself, rotating as you go, until it forms a tight ball.
- Pour almost all of the remaining olive oil into a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan such as a shallow Dutch oven). Use your fingertips to coat the entire inner surface, including the sides and rim.
- Transfer the dough to the pan, seam-side down. Drizzle the top with a touch of olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 1 ½ hours, or until very soft, puffy, and filling the pan.
- Using your fingertips, poke into the dough all the way to the bottom, creating dimples across the surface. Some bubbles may appear at this stage.
- Pour the remaining olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle generously with salt.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a thin spatula to transfer the focaccia to a wire rack. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Focaccia bread is one of the most forgiving breads for beginners. There’s no need for perfect shaping, and folds replace heavy kneading. Plus, the dimpling makes imperfections part of the charm. Even if your dough sticks to the sides of the bowl or looks uneven, once it hits the oven racks and bakes golden brown, it’s beautiful.
For those new to baking, focaccia is a confidence builder. With just flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil, you can make something spectacular that feels restaurant-worthy right at home.
What Makes Homemade Focaccia Bread Special?
A lot of people ask: how is focaccia bread different from normal bread? Focaccia has that light, airy, springy texture, and making a good loaf is all about the right technique. While a typical loaf of bread is shaped and baked for sandwiches or toast, focaccia bread is pressed into a pan, drizzled generously with olive oil, and dimpled with your fingertips before hitting the oven. This process traps bubbles in the dough, creates a soft interior, and gives the top of the dough that signature golden brown crust. Plus, focaccia is versatile—you can keep it simple with olive oil and sea salt or load it up with herbs, garlic, or sun-dried tomatoes.
Choosing the Right Yeast and How Hot Should The Water Be?
One of the most important steps in a good focaccia recipe is making sure your yeast is alive and active. If you’ve had a jar sitting in the cupboard for ages, do yourself a favour and buy a new packet, I recommend those little packets of quick-rise instant dry yeast. If you’ve kept your yeast in the fridge, or if you go through it quickly, it might be fine. But if you’re not a regular baker, get the smaller packets! Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for a dough rise that never comes.
Temperature is another key detail. When adding warm water, aim for true room temperature—not hot, not cold. Too hot and you risk killing the yeast; too cold and the dough won’t rise properly, especially when it heads into the refrigerator for an overnight focaccia. A quick tip: dip your hand in the water. If you don’t notice much difference compared to your skin, you’re in the right range.
As for flour, all-purpose works wonderfully, but some bakers like to swap in bread flour for extra gluten development and chew. Both give great texture—you can play around and see which suits your taste best.
The Magic of Folding and Dimpling
Unlike kneading traditional bread, focaccia dough develops structure through gentle folds. After resting in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap, the dough is folded over itself with oiled fingertips. These folds help build strength while keeping the dough light and airy. Over time, bubbles form as fermentation works its magic in the fridge.
Before baking, dimpling the dough is more than just tradition—it creates little pockets for olive oil to pool, giving focaccia bread its signature flavour and texture. Press all the way down with your fingertips, drizzle more oil, and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for the perfect finish.
Tips + Tricks
Pan Choices: You don’t need special equipment like a cast iron pan. Any heavy-bottomed oven-safe pan will do; enamel pot, Dutch oven, glass baking dish, etc. The key is a sturdy pan that holds heat well, giving that golden brown crust a chance to develop.
Oven Heat: Most ovens aren’t as hot as they claim. Ideally this is baking at your oven’s hottest setting, for most of us that’s going to be around 500°F. Because our ovens sometimes say they’re hotter than they are, I like to give my oven at least an hour to truly get pipping hot before I bake this.
Resting the Loaf: As tempting as it is, don’t slice right away. You’ve been patience already since this is an overnight focaccia recipe and sits to rise in the fridge. Bring that patience back now, yes even with the amazing smell of fresh bread. Letting the loaf rest in the pan for 25–30 minutes keeps the spring intact (and prevents your from burning yourself, that loaf is HOT!)
Flavour Variations: While fresh rosemary is a classic, try olives, garlic, caramelised onions, or sun-dried tomatoes. Parmesan cheese or fresh thyme also add lovely depth. Why not try some vegetables you like, with a crumbly cheese?
Serving Ideas: Tear into slices and serve with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or try honey butter for something indulgent. Focaccia also makes an excellent base for a sandwich when sliced horizontally.
How to Tell If Your Homemade Focaccia Bread Dough is Ready
Focaccia dough should feel alive—soft, puffy, and full of bubbles. Since this is an overnight focaccia recipe, you’re going to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If it has doubled or tripled in size, you’re ready to go. A dough hook on a mixer can help in the early stages, but I often recommend using a wooden spoon and your hands. Your body warmth actually helps encourage the yeast to wake up and get moving.
If the dough feels sluggish, don’t panic. Give it more time at room temperature before shaping and baking. That second rise is crucial to ensuring the top of the dough is pillowy and the interior bakes light and airy.
Secrets to Soft Homemade Focaccia Bread
So, what’s the secret to soft focaccia? It’s a combination of three things:
- Olive Oil: Don’t skimp. Using tablespoons of olive oil at every stage—from the folds to the drizzle before baking—ensures moisture and richness.
- Gentle Handling: Resist the urge to punch down the dough. Gentle folds and fingertip dimpling protect the air bubbles that give focaccia its airy texture.
- Proper Rest: Both the overnight cold fermentation and the post-bake rest are vital. The cold fermentation develops deeper flavour, while resting after the bake keeps the crumb soft instead of gummy.
These little secrets make this the best focaccia bread recipe for home bakers who want foolproof results every time.
Final Thoughts
Homemade focaccia bread is all about embracing simplicity while unlocking big flavour. With a little patience for the dough rise, a hot oven, and a generous drizzle of olive oil, you’ll be rewarded with a loaf that’s crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and endlessly adaptable. Whether you follow this easy focaccia bread recipe exactly, or experiment with herbs, olives, or parmesan cheese on top, you’ll find yourself coming back to this bake again and again.
This focaccia recipe is more than just bread—it’s a canvas for creativity, a foolproof way to impress friends, and the kind of loaf that makes your kitchen smell like heaven. So grab your pan, preheat your oven, and let’s get baking.
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Jess Emin
Every aspect of Jessica Emin’s personal and professional life revolves around food; she’s a food photographer, a food stylist, a sommelier and has hosted two food TV series. Jess credits all the people she’s met along her culinary journey for her confidence in the kitchen–she’s picked up tips, tricks and technique from hundreds of pros–from working pie dough at the age of ten with her mom, to shucking tutorials with oyster farmers, to foraging with chefs to find perfect mushrooms, and watching chefs in Canada’s best restaurants. She lives and breathes the East coast, and its incredible food offerings.
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Made this with some minor tweaks, for dipping in seasoning and olive oil. Was a huge hit!
Glad you liked this one, Wayne! I design my recipes to be flexible so you can tweak them to suit your own tastes—love that you ran with it and had a great result!
Another great recipe, so much flavor, topped mine with thin sliced tomatoes, red onions and kalamata olives. I could of eaten the whole thing.
Sounds delicious! I would definitely have eaten the whole thing!
what size baking tray do you use?
Hi Lauren! A 9×13 inch baking tray works perfectly for homemade focaccia—gives you a nice balance of fluffy center and crispy edges. You can also use a slightly smaller pan for a thicker loaf or a sheet pan for thinner, crispier focaccia. Just keep an eye on the bake time if you adjust the size!
This is an easy recipe for non-bakers. I make it all the time.
Love that! So glad it’s become a go-to—even better that it’s non-baker friendly. Thanks for making it and sharing, Gail!
I’m anxious to try this recipe, but am a little confused. I see the ingredients list olive oil two times. Once as 1 tablespoon and again as 2 tablespoons. Are the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil used 1 tablespoon at a time for each time the dough is folded over on itself after resting for 10 minutes? And then I guess the 1/4 cup of olive oil used after the 2-hour period after removing from the fridge is a completely separate 1/4 cup of oil? Thank you for any clarification you can give me on this.
Hi there! We’ve updated the recipe and how it makes better sense! Thanks for reaching out, Robert!