Rosemary Focaccia

Rosemary Focaccia – Fluffy focaccia bread topped with rosemary and coarse sea salt is an irresistible snack or side dish. It gets baked in a generous amount of olive oil for an extra-rich and satisfying flavor.

Focaccia bread has the perfect combination of a light texture, saltiness, and a savory flavor. If you haven’t tried it by itself dipped in olive oil, you’re in for a treat! It is a yeasted bread, but it’s a forgiving recipe that’s easy to work with. Letting it rise three times gives it a light, almost airy texture that’s just plain heavenly.
This bread is also perfect alongside a hot bowl of soup or fresh-cooked pasta. You can even change up the toppings and herbs if you like (more on that later). It’s a dinner bread at least as satisfying as my Parmesan Garlic Knots or Olive Garden-Style Breadsticks–if not more so.

Why This Recipe Works

• Take it easy with this simple recipe that only has 8 ingredients. You may even have them all on hand.
• Worried about how hard it might be to shape bread dough? Don’t be! The beautiful thing about flatbreads is you don’t have to be a bread expert to make them well. 
• Let the kids get involved by helping make the dimples in the dough (after they wash their hands, of course)!
• Slice a slab of it in half for seriously delicious sandwich bread.

What You’ll Need

• Yeast – The rising agent that makes this bread fluffy and scrumptious.
• Fresh chopped rosemary – Aromatic rosemary gives this bread a stellar savory flavor.
• Olive oil – Fragrant olive oil gives this bread flavor and richness. The fresher your oil is, the better the bread will taste.
• Coarse sea salt – This adds extra saltiness and texture to the top of the focaccia. 
• Warm water – This portion of water needs to be warm enough (100°F) to activate the yeast before adding the other ingredients.
• Tepid water – Tepid water provides hydration for the bread dough. 
• Bread flour – It’s the essential base of the bread dough and gives it greater elasticity.
• All-purpose flour – This flour helps to give the focaccia a lighter texture.

How To Make Rosemary Focaccia

1. Bloom the yeast – In a small bowl, stir the yeast into ⅓ cup warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix the liquids with yeast– In a large bowl, mix 2 ¼ cups water, olive oil, and the yeast mixture.
3. Add the bread flour, salt, and rosemary – Mix in 2 cups of bread flour and the salt into the water mixture. Then, mix in 2 tablespoons of rosemary. 
4. Add the all-purpose flour – Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time until the dough comes together in a ball.
5. Knead – Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 minutes. Sprinkle on extra flour if the dough is too sticky.
6. Let it rise. Oil the inside of a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover and let rise for 90 minutes until it’s doubled in size.
7. Divide and shape – Divide the dough into two balls. Spread olive oil onto two baking sheets. Place a ball of dough onto each sheet. Spread the dough out to a 1-inch thickness.
8. Cover and let rise again – Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
9. Give it dimples and rise one more time – Using your fingertips, press ½-inch deep dimples into the dough. Cover and let rise for about 1-2 hours until it is has nearly doubled in size.. 
10. Top it off – Brush olive oil over all the dough. Sprinkle it with coarse sea salt and 1 tablespoon of minced rosemary. 
11. Bake! – Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 400°F oven until cooked through. It will sound hollow when tapped. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve!

Bread Baking Tips

• To ensure your yeast is still good, check its expiration date first. 
• Keep your yeast fresh and viable longer by storing it in the refrigerator.
• If rosemary isn’t your thing, feel free to try a different fresh herb on top. You could use parsley, basil, or sage for starters. If you use sage, it’s quite strong, so use a light hand with it. 
• Try putting thinly sliced onions on top of the focaccia instead of rosemary.
• Don’t have coarse sea salt? Try kosher salt instead!

How To Serve Rosemary Focaccia

We love rosemary focaccia dipped in olive oil or this herbed Bread Dipping Oil.

Try it alongside this Italian Meatball Soup for an all-out Italian meal. Or if you want to do a meat-free night, focaccia goes great with my Carrot Ginger Soup.

Want to satisfy all your Italian cravings without the food coma? Try this bread with lighter meals like my Italian Chicken Bake and Italian Meatball Caprese Skewers! 

More Tasty Bread Recipes

• French Bread Dinner Rolls – These little rolls have a crisp outside and a super soft inside. They’re delicious on any occasion.
• Naan Bread – This classic Indian flatbread is great with soups and legumes.
• Southern Style Cornbread – One of my favorites, Southern cornbread is sweet and satisfying.
• Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread – This Cheesecake Factory copycat is a barely-sweet, whole-grain delight!
• Potato Bread with Chives – Soft potato bread flecked with chives is an ideal accompaniment to any savory dish.
• Honey Oat Bread – This no-knead bread is lightly sweetened and perfect for sandwiches and toast.

Yield: 20

Rosemary Focaccia

Print

Rosemary Focaccia - Fluffy focaccia bread topped with rosemary and coarse sea salt is an irresistible snack or side dish. It gets baked in a generous amount of olive oil for an extra-rich and satisfying flavor.

Prep Time 3 hours

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water, (105-110º F)
• 2 1/4 cups room temperature water
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups bread flour
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary, divided
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
• Additional olive oil for pan and brushing

Instructions

1. In a liquid measuring cup stir together 1/3 cup of warm water with the yeast. Let it rest for 10 minutes, until it is nice and foamy.
2. In a large bowl mix together 2 1/4 cups luke warm water, olive oil and the foamy yeast mixture.
3. Add in 2 cups of bread flour and the salt and mix to combine.
4. Mix in 2 Tablespoons of chopped rosemary. Add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until it all comes together in a ball of dough.
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 8 minutes, until nice and smooth. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour.
6. Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray. Turn dough around in the oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for 90 minutes, or until double in size.
7. Divide the dough into 2 balls of dough.
8. Spread some olive oil onto two baking sheets. Place a ball of dough onto each baking sheet, spread so the dough is about 1 inch thick. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
9. Using your fingers press about 1/2 inch into the dough to make dimples. Cover and let rise about 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size.
10. Preheat oven to 400º F.
11. Brush olive oil over all of the dough. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and the remaining chopped rosemary.
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bread is cooked through and golden brown.It will sound hollow when you knock on it.
13. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 196Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 61mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 6g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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