Focaccia

Method

1. Mix the dough. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms — no dry flour visible. Don't knead. The dough should be wet and messy — this is correct.

2. First rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour until doubled. The high hydration dough develops gluten through time (autolyse) rather than kneading. After 1 hour, the dough should be bubbly and jiggly.

3. Oil the pan with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil, coating the bottom and sides. Scrape the dough into the pan. With oiled hands, gently stretch the dough toward the edges. It will spring back — that's fine. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then stretch again. Repeat until the dough fills the pan.

4. Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise for 30–45 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled. The dough should look pillowy and jiggle when you shake the pan.

5. Dimple the dough with oiled fingers, pressing firmly all the way down to the pan. Create deep dimples every 2 inches across the entire surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top — it pools in the dimples. Press rosemary sprigs into the surface if using. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt.

6. Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown on top and the bottom is crispy when you lift an edge with a spatula. The olive oil on the bottom of the pan essentially fries the base of the focaccia, creating a golden, crunchy crust.

7. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm. The interior should be soft, airy, and full of irregular holes. The top should be golden with crispy edges around the dimples.

Equipment

• 9x13 inch baking pan or rimmed sheet pan Recommended: Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet Pan
• Large mixing bowl Recommended: Vollrath 13-Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Plastic wrap or damp towel

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: The dough is wet and sticky — don't add more flour. The high hydration is what creates focaccia's characteristic open, airy crumb with large bubbles. Resist the urge to make it easier to handle by adding flour.
• Oil the pan generously — 2–3 tablespoons pooled on the bottom. The dough fries in the oil during baking, creating the crispy, golden bottom that defines great focaccia.
• Dimple the dough aggressively with oiled fingers. Push all the way down to the pan. The dimples create pools for olive oil and prevent the dough from rising into a uniform dome.
• Two rises: the first in the bowl (1 hour), the second in the pan (30–45 minutes). Don't skip the second rise — it's what makes the focaccia light and airy instead of dense.
• Focaccia is best within 4 hours of baking. After that, the crust softens. Reheat in a 375°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Bread flour	All-purpose flour	Slightly less chewy — still works well
Instant yeast	Active dry yeast (same amount, bloom in water first)	Dissolve in the warm water for 5 minutes before adding flour
Rosemary	Thyme, oregano, or za'atar	Any herb works. Za'atar focaccia is excellent
Flaky sea salt	Kosher salt	Less dramatic crunch but same flavor
9x13 pan	Half sheet pan	Thinner focaccia — reduce bake time by 3–5 minutes

What You're Practicing

Focaccia teaches you high-hydration dough — a wet, sticky dough that produces an open, airy crumb with large, irregular holes. This same principle applies to ciabatta, pizza dough, and artisan bread. The key insight: wetter dough = more steam during baking = bigger bubbles = lighter bread. Visit Pastry Foundations for more on bread science.

You're also learning no-knead bread technique — developing gluten through time and hydration rather than physical kneading. The long rise allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten network to form passively. This approach produces excellent bread with minimal effort. Explore more at Techniques.