Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning

Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning

Almost everyone would agree that homemade bread is absolutely delicious, but the process can seem intimidating. Bread dough can be pretty temperamental, but there is nothing scary about this Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning. With just a few simple ingredients, no kneading, and only one rise, this will easily become your favorite dinner side or tasty snack dish.

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

Homemade Italian seasoning tossed together from a few common dried herbs adds tons of flavor.

Parmesan cheese topping – because everything tastes better with cheese.

No kneading required! Just a few minutes in the stand mixer with a paddle attachment and your mixing is done.

A single one hour rise is all that’s needed before popping the focaccia in the oven.

Recipe Ingredients

Focaccia:

Extra virgin olive oil

All purpose flour

Salt

Yeast

Water

Parmesan

Coarse sea salt

Italian seasoning:

Oregano

Thyme

Basil

Rosemary

Marjoram

Ingredient Notes

Olive oil: I used extra light tasting olive oil to provide flavor that wouldn’t overwhelm.

Parmesan: Toss a few spoonfuls of grated Parmesan on top of your dough before putting it in the oven for the perfect cheesy crust.

Coarse sea salt: Adds crunch and just the right amount of salty goodness.

Homemade Italian herb seasoning: both in and on the focaccia elevates the flavor of an otherwise bland sort of bread. Make extra for pasta dishes, pizza, anywhere you want a little kick of Italian goodness.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1.  In a small bowl, mix together the Italian seasoning ingredients: oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary. Crush the herbs lightly between your fingers and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, and Italian seasoning.

3. Prepare the warm water to about 105 degrees. I use a microwave, a heatproof measuring cup, and an instant read thermometer for this. Check out the Tips & Tricks for tips on how to get your water to the correct temperature.

4. Make a small well in the middle of your dry ingredients with your fingers. This will be where you add your liquid ingredients.

5. Add the water and olive oil to the dry ingredients.

6. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dough together until completely combined, about four minutes. The dough will be very sticky and elastic. NOTE: Make sure to stop occasionally to scrape down the sides and up from the bottom with a spatula to ensure your dough ingredients are completely mix.

7. Pour additional olive oil onto a 9×13 rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Using your fingers, coat the entire bottom of the pan with the oil.

8. Scoop the dough out of the bowl and place it onto the prepared baking tray. 

9. Slowly work the dough out into the corners of the pan. Stretch it as much as you can, but be careful not to rip it. Push the dough out from the center to maintain an even thickness.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for one hour.

11. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees as you near the end of the rise time.

12. Remove the plastic wrap and “dimple” the surface of your dough. You can accomplish this by holding both hands over the surface of the dough and gently poking it with your fingers, back and forth. 

13. Drizzle the final bit of olive oil over the top of the dough.

14. Sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning over the dough.

15. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese on top using a large spoon.

16. Finish off by sprinkling with coarse sea salt.

17. Bake the bread until it is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. 

18. Remove the focaccia from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing it to a wire rack.

19. Cut when completely cool.

Check out the step-by-step instructions, with ingredient measurements, on the recipe card below. 

Storage

Cut your focaccia into squares and wrap them in a few layers of plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Alternatively, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container. With this method, your focaccia should be good for 2-3 days. 

NOTE: Avoid storing the focaccia in the fridge. If you think you won’t get to eat all of it in a few days, you can always wrap it well and freeze the focaccia.

Tips & Tricks

Make extra Italian seasoning: I like to quadruple the amount and keep it in a small spice jar. You can add it to all sorts of things including your favorite tomato sauce, lasagna, or even this Meatball Parmesan recipe.

Hot water is one thing that can kill your yeast, so make sure you are using warm water. You can use warm tap water or heat colder water in the microwave. I take the temperature of the water using an instant read thermometer. It is important to swirl the water with the thermometer before checking the temperature 

Focaccia dough is super sticky. Coat your fingers with a little olive oil before stretching the dough out in the pan.

FAQs

What other toppings work well with focaccia bread?

You can add all sorts of delicious things such as sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, Kalamata olives, garlic, and/or caramelized onions.

Can I use active yeast instead of instant yeast?

Absolutely! You may need to increase the rise time a bit. I generally let the dough rise to the top of the baking sheet rim.

Should I use all purpose or bread flour?

You can use either. I often forget to replenish my supply of bread flour, so I know from experience that all purpose flour works just fine!

This delicious bread is a great accompaniment for all sort of meals. You can try it with a salad, like my salade Niçoise, or my Italian skillet dinner.