Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia Recipe

The most superior bread, in my opinion, focaccia should be light and fluffy while still have a crispy outside.

This focaccia recipe is just that: a perfectly crispy exterior with a fluffy center, topped with rosemary and garlic inside those signature, olive oil-filled dimples.

The key for this focaccia — which I learned which watching Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix — is to add a salty brine to your second proof.

I’m no scientist to give you the reasoning behind why this is so key, but my tastebuds were singing after I added this step. This is an nod to the Ligurian region of Italy.

Does this need to proof overnight?

Nope! The nice thing about this focaccia is that you can start it in the late morning and have it ready for dinner. (But if you want I do have an INSANELY delicious Overnight Focaccia that I literally dream about.)

While some fancier focaccia’s do require a longer proof, I’m not fancy bish — and I don’t always know a day ahead of time if I want to make a focaccia for the following day.

These two proofs work perfectly — and you’ll get a gorgeous rise every single time.

What toppings can I use?

For this recipe I do a mix of olive oil, salt, chopped rosemary and red pepper flakes. You can do the same or you can choose your own destiny. The beautiful thing about this focaccia (and most!) is that you can add whatever toppings make you happy. The world is your… focaccia.

Rosemary and Garlic Focaccia Ingredients

You’ll find the usual bread suspects here, along with a beautiful brine that really makes this focaccia stand out.

King Arthur Bread flour: This has more protein in it to give the focaccia a taller, more airy loaf than all-purpose flour world. (Note: You can sub in all-purpose, but just note that you should use a bit less water when using all-purpose).

Yeast: To make the focaccia rise.

Warm water: To help activate the yeast and hydrate the flour.

Honey: For sweetness (and to feed the yeast).

Salt: For saltiness.

Extra virgin olive oil: To give this bread it’s signature flavor.

Rosemary, garlic & red pepper flakes: For the topping.

Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia Bread

An airy, thick focaccia bread topped with a mixture of EVOO, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword focaccia, focaccia bread, focaccia recipe, garlic focaccia, rosemary focaccia

Prep Time 3 30

Cook Time 24

Servings 8

Equipment

1 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

For the dough

3 ¼ cups King Arthur bread flour spooned and leveled
2 ¼ teaspoon active yeast or one packet
1 ½ cups warm water 105-115 degrees
1 teaspoon honey
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ tbs extra virgin olive oil plus ¼ cup more for pan

For the brine

⅓ cup lukewarm water
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the topping

2 tbs water
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes or more to taste

Instructions

Combine the 1.5 cups warm water with the yeast and honey. Stir and let bloom until foamy (about 7 minutes).
Whisk the salt and flour together, then add the yeast mixture and stir to combine until all dry bits are wet.
Add olive oil and mix with hands to fully combine. Cover and let proof 30 minutes.
Develop the gluten by doing 4 sets x 4 stretches of the dough. Stretch and fold one section of dough (like you're gift wrapping! Just stretch the dough right over itself). Turn the bowl and do 3 more stretches. After you've done the 4, cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Then repeat until you've done 4×4. (This will take 1.5 hours, including the rest).
Add the ¼ cup olive oil to a 9×13 baking dish and put the dough into it, adding a little bit of olive oil to the top and stretching the dough to fit the dish. don't worry if the dough shrinks back a bit. Just let it rest for ~15 minutes and try again. This should take ~30 minutes to get the dough relaxed enough to fit. Meanwhile, make the brine.
Once it stretches enough, dimple the dough by using the pads of 2 or 3 fingers, making sure you touch the bottom of the pain (but not enough to break the dough!). Once dimpled, pour the bring all over the focaccia. Proof the focaccia for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until light and bubbly.
In the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and make the topping by combining all of the topping ingredients. Once ready, pour the topping all over the focaccia. Bake in the preheated oven for ~24 minutes, or until the top is golden and the bottom is too. Remove to a wire rack.