Of all the Italian breads you can make at home, this Italian Rosemary Focaccia Bread recipe has got to be one of the most rewarding. Fresh focaccia is a soft, spongy bread perfect for a scarpetta (sopping up sauce) or sandwiches. This is the classic Focaccia al Rosmarino topped with fresh rosemary!
Combine the water with whole milk. Bring the liquids to lukewarm temperature.
1 cup water, ½ cup whole milk
Using the paddle attachment, start the stand mixer on low speed.Slowly add the milk/water to the flour mix.
Right after the milk/water is added, slowlyadd olive oil to the dough. Add the salt at this time as well.Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour if needed to help the dough integrate the oil. Add the fine salt to the dough.
¼ cup olive oil, 2 ¼ tsp fine salt
Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook.
Knead the dough for 15 minutes on low speed. The dough will be wet and sticky.
First Dough Rise
Transfer the dough to a large, well-oiled bowl. To form a nice dough ball: Wet your hands with water. Stretch a corner of the dough, then fold it into the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat with wet hands. Continue turning, stretching and folding three more times. Flip the dough over.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm or sunny spot for 1-2 hours—or until doubled in size.
Second Dough Rise
Transfer the dough to a jelly roll or cake pan covered with oiled parchment paper. Cover your hands in olive oil. Stretch the dough by pushing down and out with your fingertips. Stretch from the center out until the dough reaches the edge of the pan.
Then, press around the entire surface of the dough with fingertips to create little crevices for oil to pool in.
Cover the pan. Let dough rise for one more hour.
Now's the time to add extra olive oil on the top, or any toppings you desire—like rosemary and coarse or flake salt.
coarse salt, 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
Bake the Focaccia
Bake in a pre-heated 350° F (175° C) oven for about 25 minutes. For a pan that is larger (40x30 cm or 15"x12") you’ll need 25-30 minutes. For a smaller pan (and taller focaccia) you may need 30-35 minutes.
Video
Notes
Pan Sizes and Baking TimesBaking times vary slightly by pan size.We typically bake our Rosemary Focaccia Bread in a 15"x12" (40x30 cm) for 25 minutes.For a pan that is larger, you may need 25-30 minutes.For a smaller pan (and taller focaccia), you may need 30-35 minutes.Instant Yeast vs Active YeastThis recipe calls for instant yeast (sometimes called quick-rise or fast-rise yeast). Instant yeast can be added directly to dry ingredients without being first dissolved and proofed in water.To use 'active' yeast instead, first dissolve the yeast in a bit of lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar. Let it proof alone for 10 minutes before adding it to the rest of the dry ingredients. During this proof, it should begin to foam, which proves it is alive.