Homemade Focaccia

Homemade Focaccia is easy to make at home! Simple ingredients easily come together and yield a light tender bread with a crisp and buttery exterior. This recipe will make 1 loaf.

One of the easiest breads to make is Focaccia.

Focaccia is a leavened Italian bread that is light and airy, yet the crust is crisp and buttery. It’s great for swiping with salted butter, dipping in toasted garlic olive oil, as sandwich bread and for pizza crust.

It’s pretty similar to pizza dough, and if you can make pizza dough, you can make focaccia. And if you can’t make pizza dough, yes you can. I know for some, yeast breads can be stressful or nerve wracking. I get it! When I was first started making breads I felt the same way. Here are a few tricks to help!

• Always check the expiration date and use fresh yeast. Keep it fresh by storing it in your fridge!
• Use warm water 105 to 110°. Too hot can kill the yeast, so I use a digital instant read thermometer to check.
• Follow the recipe for specific type of yeast (active dry or rapid rise) and also follow rise times and baking times and temperatures.
• Have confidence! It’s just bread, you can do this!

Now go and make this incredible homemade focaccia, you’re gonna love it!

To Make This Homemade Focaccia Recipe You Will Need:

• honey
• water
• active dry yeast
• unbleached bread flour
• kosher salt
• olive oil
• flakey sea salt

Start by adding 1 teaspoon honey to a liquid measuring cup.

Whisk in 1 cup warm water (about 110-115°).

Then add in 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast. Set that to the side and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2-2/3 cups of unbleached bread flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachment. Mix on low speed to combine.

After 5 minutes your yeast mixture should be foamy.

With the mixer on low, pour in the yeast mixture.

Stop to scrape down the sides.

Stop once the dough is just about combined.

Then pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Mix on low speed for 4 minutes. The dough should be smooth, supple and climbing up the dough hook.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large mixing bowl.

Shape the dough into a ball. Transfer the dough to the bowl and toss to coat the dough and the sides of the bowl with the oil.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and stick in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour the dough should have doubled in size.

Press or punch down the dough to expel the air.

Generously grease a 9×13 (or equivalent) nonstick baking vessel.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press with your fingertips to stretch and fit the pan.

Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes.

Position an oven rack in the lower third of your oven and Preheat to 425°

Once the dough has risen for the second time, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a few generous pinches of flakey sea salt.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, rotating the pan halfway to ensure even baking and browning.

Let rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Slice and serve with salted butter and extra flakey salt.

This focaccia is light almost fluffy interior with a crisp and crunchy exterior. It’s incredible all on its own but excellent with soup, pasta or as a base for pizza and can be used for sandwiches.

Enjoy! And if you give this Homemade Focaccia recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!