Naturally vegan and the perfect make-ahead focaccia is the crowd-pleasing yeast bread you can serve for dinner parties, celebrations, potlucks, or family gatherings.
And this focaccia bread recipe is no exception! Making your homemade bread may seem daunting, but this is the most straightforward recipe anyone can create, and it comes out perfect every time! This simple recipe can be a starting point for beginners as it starts with an easy way to use yeast and make homemade bread. And not to mention, the entrancing aroma and the addictive flavors convince you to bake this fascinating bread that surpasses the store version! Drizzle it with the rosemary-infused olive oil, and you have the perfectly flavored focaccia with those tiny holes soaked into blissful deliciousness. Focaccia has a delightful crisp outside with a soft and chewy inside. You will find many regional variations of Focaccia in Italy, but the most popular ones exist in most parts of the world. This focaccia bread is superbly delicious and can be eaten as is or as an accompaniment to soups and stews.
No expertise is needed to bake; it is so easy! Uses just a few common ingredients Super soft, flavorful, and delicious Scalable: can be halved, doubled, tripled Egg-free and Vegetarian.
Bake this delicious focaccia bread, and you’ll bake it on repeat. It’s an ideal recipe for entertaining your family and guests; this focaccia will surely bring many compliments. All-purpose flour — Regular all-purpose flour works just great. However, you can also use bread flour or whole wheat flour for texture. If using whole wheat flour, add 1 cup of whole wheat flour to 2 cups of all-purpose flour and use it to make the Focaccia dough. Active Dry Yeast — Instant or fresh yeast both work just well. However, when using instant yeast, you can conveniently skip the proofing step and add the yeast straight to the dough. Olive Oil — Olive oil renders an unbelievable flavor to the focaccia besides the texture. You can also use canola or sunflower oil instead of olive oil. Salt — Used for seasoning and flavoring the focaccia. Italian Herbs — Italian herbs lend the classic flavor to our focaccia that takes the deliciousness of this recipe a notch up. Peppercorns — Crushed peppercorns are used as seasoning that adds a hint of warmth and elevates the recipe’s flavor. Lukewarm Water — Lukewarm water at 100° -110° F is ideal for proofing the yeast. Do not go beyond this temperature, as this will spoil the yeast.
If the yeast fails to bloom — Always ensure your yeast is fresh before baking. Yeast is a living organism that thrives in a warm, humid environment. So, if the yeast fails to bloom or foam up, discard it and start all over again; please do not proceed with the next step, as you will end up with dense and sticky focaccia bread recipe that is not delectable. Rise the dough at a warm place — Allow the dough to rise at a warm spot in your kitchen. Keeping it in a cool place may take double the time. Avoid over-baking the bread — Overbaking leads to dry baked bread; therefore, avoid it altogether. Keep an eye on the bread in the baking process to prevent it from getting over-baked. Alternative to rosemary — Traditional Focaccia is topped with the flavorsome rosemary. However, the other variations have different herbs rendering their unique flavors.
Use lukewarm water only — The reason behind using lukewarm water is that the yeast activates best in lukewarm water. Hot water kills the yeast, and cold water will not let the yeast activate. Therefore, lukewarm water between 100°- 110° F is the best for this focaccia bread recipe. For the sticky dough — The focaccia dough may feel sticky sometimes. To fix this, just add an extra tablespoon of flour and knead the dough until it comes together like a smooth dough. Line the tray with parchment paper — Greasing the baking tray ensures an easy unmolding. However, for better unmolding, line the greased baking tray with parchment paper. Use mittens to remove the tray — The hot baking pan may cause you to burn; therefore, always use mittens to remove the tray from the oven. Kneading is essential — Kneading the dough enhances its elasticity and gluten formation. It results in soft and fluffy bread, therefore, do not skip this step. Easily scalable recipe — You can scale this recipe up or down to suit your requirement. For doubling this recipe, go for a bigger baking pan to fit the larger quantity of dough. Also, bake it for 25 – 30 mins in a preheated oven so that the focaccia bread is perfectly baked.
Chili-garlic sauce Basil and crushed garlic Red bell peppers and olives Sun-dried tomatoes and onions Basil and cherry tomatoes pesto Garlic herb
Ideas to serve this focaccia bread recipe — This Focaccia bread pairs well with just anything! Try it with the following for a wholesome meal —
Soups, Focaccia bread recipe salads, Saucy pasta dishes
This delicious herb focaccia makes a perfect accompaniment to almost any meal. I enjoy my rosemary focaccia bread dunked in a warm soup because this bread is so good at dipping in, and it soaks up all the delicious flavors. Either way, with soup or as is, this easy focaccia bread makes a hearty side to any meal.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make the best focaccia bread recipe
This recipe is undoubtedly more delicious and flavorful than the store-bought focaccia, and the aroma that fills the house…..ahhh….that is simply inexplicable! Should you make this Focaccia bread art recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
Craving for more? Try these other delicious options —
