Rosemary Focaccia

Published April 3, 2023  ·  ⭐ 4.5 (38 reviews)

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Prep	Cook	Rest/Proof	Total	Yield
20 min	25 min	2 hr	~3 hr	8 servings

Difficulty: Easy

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Ingredients

Dough

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 7 g instant dried yeast
• 375 ml warm water (35 °C)
• 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Topping

• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped
• Flaky sea salt (e.g. Maldon)

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Steps Overview

1. Mix the dough
2. First rise (1 hr)
3. Oil the pan, stretch the dough, and dimple
4. Second rise (45 min)
5. Top with olive oil, rosemary, and salt, then bake

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Step-by-Step

1. Mix the dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or dough scraper until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover with a damp tea towel or cling film.

2. First rise

Leave the dough at room temperature (21–24 °C) for 1 hour. After 30 minutes, perform one set of stretch-and-folds: wet your hand, pull one side of the dough up and fold it over the centre. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat for all four sides. Cover and continue rising for the remaining 30 minutes. The dough should be puffy and roughly doubled.

3. Prepare the pan

Pour 30 ml of the topping olive oil into a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 in) baking tin or rimmed sheet pan. Tip the dough into the pan. Using oiled fingertips, gently stretch and press the dough towards the edges. If it springs back, let it rest 10 minutes and try again. It doesn't need to reach the corners perfectly.

4. Second rise

Drizzle the remaining 30 ml olive oil over the surface. Cover loosely and leave for 45 minutes at room temperature. The dough should be bubbly and pillowy, filling most of the pan.

5. Dimple and top

Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Using all ten fingertips, press firmly into the dough to create deep dimples all over the surface. Scatter the rosemary leaves evenly and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt.

6. Bake

Bake for 22–25 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are crisp and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Notes

• Don't skimp on the olive oil — it's what gives focaccia its signature crispy, fried bottom and rich flavour. Use a good-quality extra-virgin oil.
• For an overnight version with more flavour, reduce the yeast to 2 g, mix the dough, and refrigerate for 12–18 hours. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding with step 3.
• Try topping variations: halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, pitted olives, roasted garlic cloves, or everything bagel seasoning.
• Focaccia is best eaten the same day. To reheat the next day, sprinkle with a few drops of water and warm in a 180 °C oven for 5 minutes.
• This dough is intentionally wet and sticky — resist the temptation to add more flour. The high hydration is what creates the open, airy crumb.