This post may contain affiliate links.
Focaccia Bread is the golden, dimpled, olive-oil-rich bread that makes your kitchen smell like an Italian bakery, and this easy garlic rosemary version is shockingly simple to pull off. I make it for lazy Sunday dinners and Maddie tears into it before it even cools, right alongside a big bowl of our creamy Tuscan chicken pasta.
An overnight rise in the fridge does the heavy lifting, so you get those signature airy holes and a crisp, golden crust finished with toasted garlic oil and fresh rosemary.
Focaccia Bread Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus overnight rise)
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes plus chilling
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 191kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory, herby, and olive-oil rich
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and mostly hands-off, like our homemade soft pretzels
Quick Answer
Whisk yeast, warm water, and honey, then stir in olive oil, Parmesan, salt, and flour to form a shaggy dough. Refrigerate it overnight for a slow rise, then press it into a buttered pan, dimple the top, and scatter on rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan and flaky salt, and bake until golden, then brush the warm focaccia bread with toasted garlic oil.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The overnight rise builds big flavor. A slow, cold ferment in the fridge develops a deeper, tangy flavor and those signature airy holes without any extra effort.
- Honey feeds the yeast and adds tenderness. A little honey gives the yeast something to eat for a strong rise and lends the crumb a subtle sweetness that balances the salt.
- Dimpling traps the olive oil. Pressing your fingers deep into the dough creates wells that hold pools of olive oil, so the top fries up crisp and golden as it bakes.
- Toasted garlic oil finishes it. Brushing the hot bread with gently toasted garlic in olive oil layers on a mellow, fragrant garlic flavor that soaks right in.
- Butter in the pan means a crispy bottom. Coating the dish with soft butter under the dough gives the bottom crust a rich, golden, almost fried edge.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like bakery focaccia but is mostly hands-off, with the fridge doing the work overnight.
- That crackly, olive-oil-crisp top and soft, airy inside are downright irresistible.
- It is the perfect partner for soups, pastas, and salads, or just torn and dipped in oil.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry staples are all it takes to make bakery-style focaccia bread at home. Here is what you will need and why each one matters.
- All-purpose flour: The structure of the bread; no fancy bread flour needed for this easy focaccia.
- Active dry yeast: Gives the dough its rise and those airy holes. Make sure it foams to confirm it is alive.
- Honey: Feeds the yeast for a strong rise and adds a subtle sweetness to the crumb.
- Olive oil: Used in the dough and poured on top, it is what makes focaccia crisp, golden, and rich.
- Fresh rosemary and garlic: The classic focaccia flavor combo, finished as a toasted garlic oil for big aroma.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This focaccia bread is a forgiving base you can flavor however you like.
- Change the herbs: Swap rosemary for thyme, oregano, or a mix of Italian herbs.
- Add toppings: Press in cherry tomatoes, olives, or thin sliced onion before baking.
- Make it cheesy: Scatter extra Parmesan or shredded mozzarella over the top.
- Skip the overnight rise: Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours if you are short on time.
- Serve it as a sandwich base: Split squares for the best How to Make Focaccia Bread
- Whisk the yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the Parmesan, and salt, then add the flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead it a few times.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight to slowly rise and develop flavor.
- The next day, brush a 9×13 baking dish all over with half of the soft butter.
- Deflate the dough, add it to the dish, and press it out to fill the pan.
- Dimple the dough deeply with your fingers and scatter the fresh rosemary over the top.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan and flaky salt, then bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
- While it bakes, gently toast the sliced garlic in olive oil, then brush the garlic oil over the warm focaccia and let it soak in before slicing.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make sure your yeast foams before adding flour; if it does not, it is dead and the bread will not rise.
- Use the overnight fridge rise for the best flavor and texture; it is worth the wait.
- Dimple deeply with oiled fingers so the wells hold the olive oil and stay defined after baking.
- Do not skip the flaky sea salt on top; it is the signature focaccia finish.
- Toast the garlic gently over medium-low heat so it turns golden, not bitter and burnt.
- Serve it warm for the crispest crust, or reheat slices in a 350 degree oven to revive them.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This focaccia bread is made for dunking and sharing. Serve it warm alongside a cozy bowl of our award-winning chili or a big plate of creamy Tuscan chicken pasta. Cut it into squares for sandwiches, or tear it into pieces to scoop up our creamy alfredo pasta. It is also the perfect bread basket addition next to homemade Italian meatballs. Set out a little dish of olive oil and balsamic for dipping, and watch this focaccia disappear before dinner is even served.
Focaccia Bread FAQs
Do I have to refrigerate the focaccia bread dough overnight?The overnight cold rise gives this focaccia bread the best flavor and airy texture, but if you are short on time you can let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled.
Why is my focaccia bread dense instead of airy?Dense focaccia usually means the yeast was old or the dough did not rise long enough. Make sure your yeast foams at the start and give the dough a full, slow rise.
Can I make focaccia bread without a stand mixer?Yes. This easy focaccia bread is mixed entirely by hand with a spoon and a few kneads, so no mixer is needed.
How do I store leftover focaccia bread?Store cooled focaccia bread in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat slices in a 350 degree oven to bring back the crisp crust.
Can I freeze focaccia bread?Absolutely. Wrap cooled focaccia bread tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven before serving.
What can I use instead of fresh rosemary on focaccia bread?Fresh thyme, oregano, or a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs all work beautifully on focaccia bread if you do not have fresh rosemary.
Hungry for more easy homemade bread? Try our homemade soft pretzels next.
This bread is perfect for soaking up the sauce from homemade beef braciole.
Serve a wedge of this focaccia with a bowl of our Italian meatball soup.
Love baking your own bread? Our air fryer naan bread is soft, chewy, and ready in minutes.
For another showstopper bake, try our challah bread stuffed with fresh basil parmesan pesto.
Focaccia Bread
This easy Focaccia Bread is golden, dimpled, and full of garlic and rosemary, with an overnight rise that gives it a bakery-style airy crumb and crisp, olive-oil-rich crust.Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 cup warm water (115*F)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For assembly:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter very soft
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon flake sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place the yeast, water, and honey in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Let it sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes. If it is not frothy by this time, your yeast is dead and you need new yeast.2 & 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 cup warm water (115*F), 2 tablespoons honey
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cheese, and salt, and stir to combine.1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the flour to the bowl and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead it a few times by hand in the bowl until a smooth ball forms. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the bowl and coat the dough in the oil.2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to slowly rise and rest.
- The next day, brush a 9×13 baking dish with half of the butter all over.1/4 cup unsalted butter
- Use a fork and prick the dough a few times so it deflates. Add the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out and brush the remaining butter over the exposed dough. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for the second time, doubling in size at room temperature, 2-4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the top surface of the dough and using your fingers, dimple the dough all over so it deflates again.1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil on top and use a pastry brush to spread it around making sure all of the dough is covered with oil.5 tablespoons olive oil
- Sprinkle with the parmesan and flake salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon flake sea salt
- While the bread is baking, make the toasted garlic oil. Place the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a small skillet and add the thinly sliced garlic.3 cloves garlic
- Place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is lightly browned but not burned, about 15 minutes.
- Once the bread is out of the oven, drizzle or brush with the garlic oil, let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan then take out, cut, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Measure Ingredients Carefully: Accurate measurements ensure the best results.
- Use Fresh Herbs: They bring out the best flavor.
- Temperature Matters: Make sure your water is warm but not hot; too hot can kill the yeast.
- Don’t Rush the Rise: I know sometimes we want to save time, but the longer it rises, the better the flavor.
- Golden Brown is Key: Keep an eye on the bread in the oven, aiming for a beautiful golden brown color.
- Use a Large Bowl: This gives the dough enough space to rise and makes mixing easier.
Nutrition DisclaimerNutrition
Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mgLove This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
