Rosemary Focaccia Bread
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The perfect rosemary focaccia is light, doughy, salty, herby, and warm. And the top is a gentle, golden brown with perfectly crisped topping.
Focaccia is one of those breads that truly requires the right recipe and technique in order for it to be really good because it's quite easy for it to come out too doughy, chewy, or dense.
And most importantly it should be served warm not cold. Ripping off a piece of this rosemary focaccia bread apart should feel like a hug from an old friend.
The History of Focaccia
Focaccia has an incredible history, it's one of the oldest bread recipes in the world. In ancient Rome, it was called "Panis Focacius" and made as a flatbread and baked on the hearth. The word focaccia comes from the Latin language "focus" which means baked-on hearth.
For Romans, focaccia was considered so important it was offered to the Gods during celebrations. The original recipe was a mixture of white flour, a pinch of salt, olive oil, and water.
The dough was rolled out using a rolling pin, then placed into an oiled tray, and seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil. Finally, it was placed into a hot oven until the surface of the dough turned an even gentle brown.
Different Types of Focaccia
A lot of cities in Italy have their own special type of focaccia with the most famous being "Genovese focaccia". It's a classic and so simple, with just extra virgin olive oil and salt as the topping.
Traditionally it’s served during happy hour, or aperitivo as they say in Italy, because it pairs well with a good glass of white wine. You can also find it as part of an appetizer.
This bread comes with all kinds of toppings, from roasted vegetables to meat. The sky truly is the limit, however, we tend to lean more towards traditional toppings, such as rosemary, olive oil, and salt.
Focaccia barese which has tomatoes and olives as the toppings is also super popular and very delicious. Today, it's one of the most famous simple Italian foods. However, in order for focaccia to truly shine it must be made well, and with the correct balance of sweet and savory.
The Dough
The most important part of focaccia is the preparation of the dough. There are quite a few steps required to make a great dough, but it's worth it. Don't skip any steps, be patient, and make this well ahead of time. The good thing about this recipe is that it can be prepped pretty far ahead and only takes 8 minutes to cook. Then you just have to slice and serve!
The Toppings
The keyword here is moderation. This isn't pizza, it's focaccia so hold the cheese and sauce. There's no need to go overboard with the toppings. You can use just about any vegetables, we recommend using just 2 or 3. Onions, tomatoes, and olives would be delicious. So would shaved eggplant and oregano. For this recipe, we top ours off with rosemary, salt, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
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If you make this pasta with tomato sauce, please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! We love to hear from you and do respond to comments. And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram and Facebook and use #EXAUoliveoil so we can repost.
Rosemary Focaccia
Rated 5.0 stars by 4 users
Category
Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine
Italian
Author
EXAU Olive Oil
Servings
1 Standard Flat Baking Tray
Prep Time
24 hours 3 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
The perfect focaccia is light, doughy, salty, sweet, and warm. The top is a gentle, golden brown with the toppings cooked to perfection. It’s one of those foods that must be made extremely well in order for it to be good. We’ve all had an overly doughy, chewy, and dense focaccia. And to be honest, it sucks when that happens. Especially when it’s served cold! Focaccia should always be warm because it should feel like you’re eating a hug.
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp yeast
- 3 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EXAU - Turi)
- add'l extra virgin olive oil (EXAU - Turi) (for tray & topping)
- 1 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pinch sugar
- rosemary to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 standard flat baking tray (non-stick)
- 1 large bowl
Materials
Directions
The Dough
- Add cold water into a large bowl then add the yeast.
- Stir the yeast and water together until the yeast has dissolved.
- Add 2 cups of flour to the yeast and water mixture one spoonful at a time while continuously kneading ingredients together. The mixture will begin to resemble a dough.
- When the dough has reached a sticky yet smooth consistency fold in 3 1/2 tsp. salt and then 3 1/2 tsp. olive oil. Continue to knead.
- Add the last 1 cup of flour one spoonful at a time, continuously kneading until all ingredients are folded in evenly and no longer sticks to your hands.
- Form dough into a 'perfectly' round ball and remove it from the bowl.
- Cover the bottom and lower portion of the bowl with a light sprinkling of flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Place the dough back into the bowl and sprinkle the top and sides with flour.
- Cover the entire bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for approx. 20-24 hours. The low temperature of the fridge allows the dough to rise slowly (and properly).
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 2 more hours. It will continue to rise.
Prepare the Baking Tray
- Preheat oven to 550 F (or max. heat if your oven does not go that high).
- Pour 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (EXAU - Turi) into a large standard baking tray. Evenly rub the oil into all sides of the tray.
- Grab the dough and place it into the center of the tray.
- Gently, with the tips of your fingers begin to extend the dough into all parts of the tray. Be careful not to make holes!
- This make take several minutes, be patient. You must slowly and evenly push the dough into all parts of the tray.
The Toppings & Baking
- Sprinkle the dough with kosher salt, rosemary, and 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
- You can gently rub ingredients into dough if you wish, be careful not to press dough into pan or it will stick.
- Place the baking tray into the preheated oven. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy while still warm. Buon appetito!
Recipe Note
- We recommend using a very large bowl with high sides.
- Do not push your fingernails into dough, it will tear.
