Homemade Focaccia Bread

There’s nothing better than a big pan of Homemade Focaccia Bread. From its warm, yeasty aroma to its crispy outer texture and its tender crumb, this recipe invites you to savor every heavenly bite! This recipe has the exact same measurements whether you are using all-purpose einkorn or modern wheat flour.

We love a good loaf of bread around here. Most of the time we keep it to our tried-and-true einkorn sandwich loaf, but over the years, I’ve added many new bread varieties to the rotation.

As you can see from those delightful bubbles in the slices above, this recipe is light and airy (even with einkorn flour!), and I’m excited to share the finished recipe with you!

Homemade Focaccia Bread

We’ve been making this focaccia bread for about 4 years now, and most often, we enjoy this bread recipe on its own or as a sandwich base. On travel days, or when we are going to see a ball game, our favorite meal to take with us is a sandwich made by slicing the focaccia in half (the thin way) and stuffing it with thin-sliced turkey, tomatoes, avocadoes, mustard, and a bit of homemade mayo.

But whether you use it as sandwich bread, turn it into a pizza, or leave it plain, this homemade focaccia bread recipe is a winner any day!

Ingredients

Like I said, focaccia bread is incredibly simple and you likely have everything you need on hand right now! The full recipe with measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

• All-Purpose Flour – We use einkorn flour, however, any all-purpose wheat will work perfectly. No modifications are needed!
• Maple Syrup – Adds a slight sweetness to the dough and helps the yeast act more quickly. Can be substituted for white sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, or honey. It can be omitted altogether as well.
• Olive Oil – A staple of any focaccia bread recipe, this ingredient takes this from a regular yeast dough to that classic crisp and airy texture! Avocado oil could be used instead, but the flavor will be different.
• Yeast – We use instant yeast, but dry active yeast can be used as well.
• Salt – Enhances the overall flavor profile. We use Himalayan salt, but any high-quality salt would work.
• Ginger – Only needed if you are using einkorn flour, as the ginger supports the weak einkorn gluten bonds as the bread rises.

Instructions

The hands-on time for this recipe is about 5 minutes total, which makes it the perfect recipe to make any time!

1. Mix – Combine the flour, maple syrup, warm water, yeast, salt, and ginger. Mix until just combined and transfer to a bowl with olive oil in the bottom. Flip to coat well and cover.
2. Rise – Let it rise for an hour in a warm place.
3. Shape and Rise Again – Gently pull the four corners of the dough three times (12 pulls to the center total) and place it onto a half-sheet baking tray buttered well, with a drizzle of olive oil in the center. Flip the dough to coat and press it out into the pan. Let it rise for another hour.
4. Dimple – Drizzle the dough with more olive oil and create dimples with your fingers, spreading the oil evenly. Any additional toppings would be added at this point also.
5. Bake – Bake the focaccia at 450°F for around 20 minutes, until it’s golden brown on top.
6. Remove Quickly – Once your focaccia has come out of the oven, transfer it as quickly as you can to a wire rack or cutting board (the rack is preferable). This will keep it from sticking to the pan as it cools and will help keep that crisp texture on the outside too.
7. Rest – Allow the baked focaccia to rest for a little while (5-10 minutes) before slicing. I know it’s hard to do this! But, resting will give the crumb structure time to settle and ensures you’ll get clean, beautiful slices.

Topping Your Focaccia Bread

While we like to enjoy this plain or as a sandwich base, you can mix things up with whatever toppings you can think of! The possibilities are endless, of course, but here are a few classic ideas for how to top your homemade focaccia bread!

• Focaccia Pizza – Add your favorite sauce and pizza toppings just before baking your focaccia bread! You will let it rise as normal and then top it right before baking.
• Rosemary and Tomatoes – Chop up some fresh rosemary and tomatoes and place them over the top of the dough after its second rise. Gently press the tomatoes into the dough, being careful not to pop too many of the bubbles! Bake as normal.
• Three Cheese, Cheesy Focaccia – Mix shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar, and grated Parmesan until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture over the dough before baking, and bake until the cheese is golden brown. This combo is unbelievably delicious!

Even More Homemade Bread Ideas

Looking to keep that oven packed with more deliciousness? I’ve got you covered! Here are a few of our favorite baked goods.

• Classic Brown Bread Recipe
• Einkorn Irish Soda Bread
• Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread

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