Recipes
Rosemary Focaccia
2025-10-29
Focaccia is one of the most forgiving yeasted breads for anyone nervous about baking: it doesn’t need to look perfectly shaped, it skips the long kneading sessions most breads demand, and its signature dimpled surface isn’t just decorative — it traps little pools of olive oil that keep every bite noticeably rich and moist.
Rosemary is the classic pairing, but the real backbone of focaccia is good olive oil and coarse salt, which leaves plenty of room to riff: sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced onion, olives, or whole garlic cloves all work well pressed into the dough before baking. Don’t be shy with the oil at the final step — it’s what pools in the dimples and lightly caramelizes in the oven, giving focaccia its signature crisp bottom and soft, airy crumb.
Serve it warm, torn or cut into thick pieces — on its own with a glass of wine, alongside soup, or split for sandwiches. It keeps for a couple of days at room temperature under a towel, and a few minutes in a hot oven brings a slightly stale loaf right back to life.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 350 ml warm water
- 7 g active dry yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 10 g salt
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes, until foamy on top.
- In a large bowl, stir the flour with the salt, then add the yeast mixture and 30 ml of the olive oil. Mix into a soft, sticky dough by hand or with a spoon for 3-4 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
- Generously oil a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, turn out the dough, and stretch it gently with your hands to fill the pan.
- Cover and let it rest for another 30-40 minutes for a second rise.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Press your fingertips all over the dough to create the classic dimples.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top so it pools in the dimples, tuck in the rosemary sprigs, and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, then let it cool on a rack for a few minutes before serving.
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