Classic Italian Focaccia

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •13x9-inch metal baking pan or 12-inch round cake pan
• •Kitchen scale for accurate measurements
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Flexible bench scraper or spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Pour the warm water into a large bowl. It should feel like comfortable bathwater against your wrist. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and let it sit for two minutes. Add the flour and fine sea salt, then stir with a wooden spoon or your hand until a shaggy, sticky mass forms. No dry flour should remain, but don't expect smooth dough yet. This will look rough and unpromising. Trust the process.

   Water temperature matters. Too hot kills yeast. Too cold slows fermentation. Between 100-110°F gives the yeast a comfortable start without risk.
2. 2

   Fold and strengthen

   Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough. Using wet fingers to prevent sticking, reach under one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this eight times total, working around the bowl twice. The dough will feel slack and extensible. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel.

   These folds replace kneading. They develop gluten structure gently, creating the open crumb focaccia demands. Wet hands make this effortless.
3. 3

   First rise with additional folds

   Let the dough rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. Perform another round of eight folds, exactly as before. Cover again and rest for 45 more minutes. The dough will have transformed: smoother, more billowy, with visible bubbles beneath the surface. It should jiggle when you shake the bowl. This is the sign of proper fermentation.

   On hot summer days, the dough may rise faster. On cold winter mornings, give it more time. Bubbles and a doubled volume matter more than the clock.
4. 4

   Prepare the pan

   Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 13x9-inch metal baking pan or a 12-inch round cake pan. Tilt to coat the bottom and sides generously. The oil should pool. This is not excessive. This is correct.

5. 5

   Transfer and shape

   Scrape the risen dough directly into the oiled pan. It will deflate somewhat. This is expected and fine. Coat your fingers with oil and begin pressing the dough outward from the center, stretching it toward the edges. If the dough resists and springs back stubbornly, stop. Cover it and wait 15 minutes. The gluten needs to relax before it will cooperate. Return and continue stretching until the dough fills the pan reasonably well.

   Focaccia dough has memory. Fight it and you'll lose. Rest, then stretch again. Three short sessions work better than one long battle.
6. 6

   Second rise

   Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the surface. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 1 to 1½ hours. It should look pillowy and have spread to fill the pan completely. Small bubbles will appear on the surface. This final rise gives focaccia its characteristic lightness.

7. 7

   Dimple the dough

   Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 450°F. While it heats, oil your fingers generously and press them straight down into the dough, creating deep dimples across the entire surface. Don't be gentle. Push nearly to the pan bottom. The dimples should be dramatic, almost violent-looking. Drizzle another tablespoon or two of olive oil over the top, letting it pool in those craters.

   Proper dimpling prevents large air bubbles from forming during baking and creates those signature oil-fried pockets that make focaccia irresistible.
8. 8

   Add toppings

   Scatter the rosemary leaves across the surface, pressing some gently into the dimples. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over everything with a generous hand. The salt will sparkle on the golden crust. This is also the moment for any other toppings: halved cherry tomatoes, thin onion slices, pitted olives. Arrange them with intention. They'll bake into the bread.

9. 9

   Bake until golden

   Slide the pan onto the lower rack. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the focaccia is deeply golden on top and the edges have pulled away slightly from the pan. The bottom should be darker than you expect, nearly brown. This is the crispy crust you want. Check by lifting a corner with a spatula. Pale bottoms mean soggy bread.

10. 10

    Cool and serve

    Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the focaccia to a wire rack. If it sticks, run a thin spatula around the edges and beneath the bread. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. This rest allows the interior crumb to set. Cutting too soon yields gummy bread. Serve warm or at room temperature, torn into rough squares or cut into proper rectangles. The bottom should crunch. The interior should stretch. This is focaccia as it should be.

Chef Tips

• •Quality olive oil matters here more than in almost any other bread. Use something you'd happily drizzle on a tomato salad. The flavor bakes directly into the crust.
• •For an overnight version with deeper flavor, mix the dough, perform the first set of folds, then refrigerate covered for up to 24 hours. The slow cold fermentation develops complex, slightly tangy notes. Let the dough warm for an hour before continuing with shaping.
• •Leftover focaccia makes extraordinary sandwiches. Split it horizontally to reveal the open crumb. It also freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to three months. Reheat directly from frozen at 375°F until warmed through.
• •Try finishing with a drizzle of very good olive oil the moment it comes from the oven. The bread absorbs it while still hot, adding another layer of richness.
• •For a classic Ligurian variation, press thin slices of onion into the dimples before baking. The onion softens and sweetens in the oven, becoming almost jammy.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be refrigerated after the first rise for up to 48 hours. Shape it cold, then let it proof at room temperature until doubled before dimpling and baking.
• •Fully baked focaccia keeps at room temperature, wrapped loosely, for 2 days. Refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes before serving.
• •Freeze baked focaccia wrapped tightly in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)