If you are looking for an easy bread recipe that doesn’t require too many ingredients or fancy gadgets, this recipe for Focaccia is the one for you. This rustic Italian bread is perfect as an appetizer served with dipping oil, a side to your favorite pasta dish or as delicious sandwich bread. Focaccia — very versatile, very delicious!
Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 5 cups
Warm Water – 1 2/3 cups
Rapid Rise Yeast – 1 packet (approx 2 tsp)
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt – 2 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil – 1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp for coating plus more for coating bottom of pan
Rosemary – 1 Tbsp (Fresh, chopped) or 1 tsp (Dried)
Onion – 1/4 small, sliced finely
Sea Salt/Kosher Salt – to taste
Method:
1. In the food processor bowl (or mixing bowl if kneading by hand), mix Warm Water, Yeast and Sugar. Cover and keep for 5-10 mins until foamy.
2. Add Salt, Olive Oil and 4 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour (more can be added as needed).
3. Pulse the food processor until the dough comes together. Run the food processor for 1 minute. Add more flour (1/4 cup at at time) as needed until dough forms.
4. Knead dough on a floured work surface or large bowl for 1 minute or until a smooth ball forms.
5. Generously drizzle Olive Oil to coat the bottom of a 15×10 inch baking pan.
6. Place dough ball in pan and press into the bottom into an even rectangle shape.
7. Cover with kitchen towel and keep in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to rise.
Preheat Oven to 425F/218C
8. With your finger, gently make indentations one inch apart all over the dough.
9. In a small bowl, mix 2-3 Tbsp of Olive Oil with Rosemary and sliced Onions.
10. Spread the Oil mixture over the top of the risen dough. Arrange Onions/Rosemary evenly over the top.
11. Bake Focaccia for 20 mins at 425F/218C (Keep an eye on it towards the end – all ovens are different).
12. Enjoy hot and store unused portion in an airtight container in the fridge.
Hi,
Can I use fresh sliced jalapeño in the bread mixture?
Thank you
Hi there! I just wanted to say thank you for such a helpful recipe and video. I’ve just stumbled upon you two today and am thrilled that I have!
I don’t have a fancy food processor, so I hope it works okay. Yall indicated that the wrong kind is not so good. I’m crossing my fingers.
One question though, and pardon me if it’s a dumb one but I’ve not many a lot of bread, but when you first add the yeast, sugar and water, do you add it and use the food processor to mix it up? Or do you just stir it until it’s dissolved? I saw that one bread maker said to only stir it gently, so I was curious how true that is.
Again, many thanks! 🙂
Hey Guys,
You both are brilliant.. I started visiting your web only couple of months back.. All the recipes I tried worked amazing.. What really impresses me are the little twists in the recipe here and there like using apple butter as a substitute for tamarind.. Brilliant!! Also adding pickle masala to tofu parata dough worked awesome.. Your hard work is really helping amateur cooks like me progress :).. Thanks a ton :).. Keep up the good work.. I have told pretty much everyone I know who is interested in cooking about both of you 🙂 🙂
Will try this bread today.. Good luck to both for your future endeavors 🙂 🙂
Hey Hetal and Anuja,
Tried this recipe twice .. N never came out great. This time it was more of biscuit than a bread:( . The bread has never risen so well even if the dough rises very good. Not a baker, so probably will try some easier ones next time. I dont get where m going wrong 🙁 help help!!
Hi Foody8,
Sorry to hear that…this recipe usually turns out great even for novice bakers. Though it should not be like a biscuit, this bread is meant to be a little denser than normal bread. It is not a traditional loaf and since it is flatter, there is less sponginess.
I got so many compliments when I took this foccacia bread with me to a party last night – I shared your website and recipe with all the guests! Thanks for another winner!
Hi TGP,
Thanks for the feedback and for the support…its much appreciated!
Hi,
I tried the bread, flavour was great but it was dry. any suggestions for that?
Thanks
Chitra
Hey, I know u guys are really busy but if u could just lemme know the proportion, I could then proceed to make it.
Yes, you can half all of the ingredients. For the water, it is easiest to take 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup. Yeast is 1 tsp.
Hey. I am your big fan n you’ll find my name almost in all of your recipes. I just luv dis bread and wanna try it. Just a quick question. 5 cups is too much for me. So can I half the ingredients. So if I take 2.5 cups of maida, do I half the yeast, salt, sugar, and water. Can you plz specify the proportion of yeast, water, salt and sugar. Thanks. .
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
Thank you so much for the all great recipes and creative ideas. You ladies are doing such a fabulous job! Could you please, show us how to make Olive Garden “bread sticks†and “alfredo sauceâ€.
Thanks a million ladies =)
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Thanks so much for the recipe.It was fabulous and I ate half the loaf of bread all by myself.I have never tasted such a good focaccia bread even in restaurants and bakeries.
Thanks!!
Hi Anuja
Is the yeast content really 2 tspn. It seems little for almost 5 cups of flour. Just asking before I commit to the large quantity of flour. Can part of the dough be frozen and also used for deep pan pizza?
Hi Shamila,
Yes, it is the right amount of yeast. Usually, a package contains about 2 1/4 tsp. The dough can definitely be frozen but we have not tried it for a pan pizza crust. It may work though.
I just wanted to thank you for having the most intelligent printing options I’ve ever seen! Not only can I click on “Printer Friendly” button, but I can also DELETE anything on the page I don’t want! Every website should have this option! Save trees and ink! I love watching your videos by the way. I found Indian food about a year ago and fell in love! I will be trying some of my favorite dishes from your recipes soon. Thank you so much for doing what you do.
Thanks for the feedback Denise! Glad you are finding SMTC useful!
Would appreciate if you could tell/ put up a recipe with whole wheat four for any bread recipe. Love your website. I look upon it as the no-fail recipe website. I have tried bread recipes from all websites but haven’t got one which works with whole wheat flour.
Thanks,
Vidya
Please tell me what size and what brand food processor you use to make your focaccia bread?
I’ve been using my Kitchen Aid stand mixer or bread machine, but your processor looks like it is way more efficient, faster and less messy.
I would appreciate any info.
I should have kept the Kitchen aid processor I returned a few months ago. Never thought of using it for making bread dough!! Thanks for the info & for really great looking recipes. shern
Hi Sharon,
Our food processor is a Black and Decker but it is really old and we are not even sure if they make it anymore. Most food processors are able to make dough. Just be sure to buy one with the most powerful motor that you can afford.
I made the focaccia bread.Delicious and simply.I can’t wait to make the talpia patties.I’ll let you know how that goes later.
Thanks for your recipes,
Cynthia
Hi, Miss Anuja and Hetal
I’m looking for a focaccia recipe and im so glad i found this website. Just finished baking your focaccia recipe, it turned out so good. Perfect! Thank you so much. Please upload more bread recipe. It’s me Carmela from Makati Philippines. 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Carmela! Glad you enjoyed the focaccia!
A question:
After the dough has raised , i.e about 1.5 hrs in a warm place, do u need to immediately bake it, or can we wait for a while b4 we bake it? can we keep the dough in the fridge and bake it sometime later?
Hi Ashwini,
hmmm…we have never tried doing that but it may work. The biggest issue you may face is that unless you cover the pan very well, the dough may form a dry crust over the top. You may want to oil it first and then put some plastic wrap over it.
Hi Hetal / Anuja,
I have watched a few of your cooking shows on youtube and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Yesterday I tried baking focaccia for the 1st time (with a slight variation) I used sage, garlic and onion. Also did not manage to get rapid rise yeast , so i used instant yeast instead. Fresh from the oven, it was quite soft and yummy, however a day later (after slight heating), the bread is hard. Any idea why ?
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Firstly, thanks for this wonderful recipe. I tried it with onion and garlic when I was in Finland. Now I am back to India and I wish to make it here as well so need your help. How do I make it in the Indian oven(One we use on the stove with no temperature control?. I would like to know the timing for baking.Also , I think it needs to be baked on high flame?
Once again thanks a lot for all your wonderful recipes!!
Bye!
Tc!
Hi Poonam,
Unfortunately, we have never used an Indian oven so cannot comment on its correct usage. Sorry. Maybe one of our other viewers can help.
wow!!this is owsome i love this..kip it up
Thanks for this great video and recipe – you two are so cute!
I just made this, substituting 1 cup whole wheat flour, fresh garlic, basil and onion, and it was lovely!
hi i have a question, i dont have american oven i have round oven as are generally used in indian homes..which bakes cakes in 30 minutes and doesnt have any sort of temperature control…can i make this bread in that oven ….has any1 in india tried to make this in desi ovens??? please reply if u have and how was ur experience??
Dear Hetal / Anuja,
This bread is excellent, from 2 weeks i am looking for rapid rise yeast but here in sydney i couldn’t find….. such a shame…… can i use regular dry yeast if yes then what i have to change…..
Thanks & regards, you girls are doing excellent jobs…
Take care, Prati
Hi Prati,
You can definitely use regular dry yeast. The only difference in this recipe would be that you have to let the dough rise once for about an hour. Then, punch it down and place it in your baking pan to rise again for the second time. All other steps are the same.
Thanks Hetal,
Desprate to bake this bread so in the search of rapid rise yeast, i found Instant dry yeast of company called Lowan, is this is same like dry yeast or like rapid rise yeast.
Thanks,
Prati
Hi Prati,
You can use Instant Dry Yeast. The only difference is that you have to let the dough rise one time for about an hour or hour and half, punch it down, and then follow the rest of the steps. Rapid rise yeast lets you skip the first rising.
Howmany grams of flour (maida) in one cup?
Hi Samu,
1 cup of all purpose flour (maida) = 140 grams approx
1 cup sifted all purpose flour (maida) = 115 grams approx
Thank you,madam.
love it 😛
and most of all “its a piece of cake… I mean bread” 😉
Thnx
Well said, Noor 🙂
hi hetal and anuja,
i love this site a lot aand tried lots of recepies n almost everthing came good even my 5yr old son always likes to c ur recepies n happyly eats if its ur recepie..:) he also watch with me always.my hubby gets lots of apprication from his friends whn they eat food from his lunch box he says may b the recepie from showmethecurry.com..:)now all his friends wifes also started following it.well plzzz could u show how to make eggless waffle.
thanks
deepa
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I am a huge fan of your cooking. I watch your videos once before i make some recipe… I have tried so many of your recipes and all of them turned out really good.. This bread looks awesome and will definitely try it… Thanks for your recipes… Love you both.. 🙂
Hi Aanal,
You have got to try this – it is a great recipe!
hi, I made this recipe yesterday but unfortunatly it didnt come out good.I put this into the oven for around 45 mins and still didnt get the nice golden brown color. it was white and uncoocked although it smells reallywonderful. I didnt know what I did wrong.
I love to make ur Recipe…….plz posted more
hey anuja and hetal,
I am in india so wanted to know do we use the standard indian cup.. and can we have the ingredients into half.
Hi Bobby,
We use a standard measurement of 8oz cup which is 225ml cup. When we say 1 cup, we mean in volume.
Yes, you can half this recipe and make the bread.
Hope that helps.
oops! very sorry just now noticed Dear anuja, actually my sister’s name is anju; so used to sending her mail so just missplet.thank you for all your wonderful recipies.Please do show sweet modhak recipie
Thank you so much
Pam.
Hi Pam,
No problem 🙂
We will put Modhak on our list.
Dear anju and hetal,
All your dishes are really great and the method you do and show makes it so simple and easy for first time cooking person like me. Thanks a ton for all your recipies. I have tried most of them and my family has enjoyed those dishes.
My request to both would could you please show how to make sweet modhak with the mould as well as without the mould,it would be very helpful.
Thank you so much
Hi,
The recipe looks great but I have a quick question. You say to keep the dough in warm oven for 1 1/2hrs. Does that mean I have to keep the oven on the whole time?
Thanks
Hi Aditi,
No, you can turn the oven on and let it heat to approx 150 F. Turn if OFF and then place your dough to rise in there.
Hi,
The recipe looks great but I have a quick question. You say to keep the dough in warm oven for 1 1/2hrs. Does that mean I have to keep the oven on the whole time?
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I so want to try this recipe, but I don’t have a food processor and I don’t see myself being able to knead the dough by hand. Is there any other way or is there a smaller quantity substitution for this recipe?
Thank You
Hi Pia,
Kneading is really easy….don’t cut yourself short, you can do it. In fact, after the dough ferments, it actually becomes easier (and softer) to knead. Whether you cut this recipe in half or not, the kneading part will remain the same. Give it a shot!
Hi Hetal,
Thanks for the encouragement but do you really think I will be able to handle 5 cups of flour, by hand?
What if I make a mess and eventually have to throw out everything. I am just too skeptical.
I think kneading a chapati dough is easier because its 1 cup or even less.. but 5 cups- OMG, I wish I had a food processor.. Aaahhhh…
Hetal, I can knead doughs, but I am unsure of 5 cups. So supposing, I want to half the recipe, it means approx 2-2.5 cups, the other ingredients will halve too ya?
Thank You
hi
this looks like a great recipe thanks.
Was wondering whether this can be made in a bread machine.
Hi Preeta,
Focaccia needs to be thinner than regular bread (basically the dough pulled and dimpled). I don’t think the bread machine would be able to do that.
Hi. Thank you for this recipie… since I don’t have regular sized cups, i was wondering, how much is 1 cup in this recipie in milliliters?
Hi Conrad,
One standard US cup (8 fluid ounces) is equal to 237 ml.
I want to say this is the best bread recipe ever…. so simple so quick to make… wonderful 🙂
you have no idea how many people enjoyed this bread. will try it next time with other herbs and flour and see how it turns out 🙂
hi anuja
i am seeking for petty or patty it is a indian snack . i search this on google but failed . it is look like a bread pakora- stuffed with aloo- but this snack is not fried typed. i eat many times but now i am in italy from two years so i forget something . hey please make this for me
i found the Fleischmann’s yeast. it says ” Fleischmann’s BreadMachine Yeast – also ideal for all RapidRise Recipes”.
Also, this came in a jar. Shud i go ahead with this?
thnx
Hi Veera,
If it says it can be used for Rapid Rise recipes, then it should be fine.
did u use maida from an indian store or all purpose flour ?
Hi Veera,
We use all purpose flour that is available in American grocery stores but it should be the same as maida from an Indian store.
Great recipe!! Made it and it was delicious!
Hi Anuja & Hetal
I am writing to you for the first time. I have tried lots of urecipes and love them all. I have one suggestion, would be great if you mention the servings. That makes it lot more easier while cooking.
Thanks
Hi anuja and Hetal,
This is the first time I was visiting your website and the first time trying to make bread.. I was very anxious but turned out well..!!!
Thanks a lot
Hi
I just tried this bread yesterday, and it was flawless. we enjoyed half of it with olive oil. and the left over i made a sandwich with some green chutney and veggies..delishh!.
thanks guys
hi anuja and hetal,
this recipe is superb.. i am going to try it right now.. was looking for this recipe since long time.. thank u so much!! you guys are wonderful..
love!
shalini
Hi
can we skip the kosher salt.will it be k.
Hi There,
Yes, you can use regular salt 🙂
Hi
is instant yeast for baking n rapid rise yeast is same ?
regards
Hi there,
Yes, they are 🙂
Hi
Thanks u so much for a nice recipe. I tried your many recipes and all came out very well.Moreover we are highly obliged as you both answered quickly whenever any viewer asked you both any question regarding any confusion. It helps to all .
I want to ask how long should we preheat the oven to make this bread and should we turn on the broil function too.
Hoping for the early reply.
Thanks a lot
Hi there,
This recipe does not need the “Broil” function, “bake” is what you will need to do!
Typically, if you turn on you oven, 10-15 minutes should be good depending on how high you want the temperature to set at.
Thanks for the compliments 🙂
Hi Hetal n Anuja!!
YOu have a great site..i keep on visiting it for new recipes.
well i tried this recipe, it turned out good but it was not as soft as it suppose to be.i folloe each n every step of it..i apply the oil too while baking, it was fine in all other way just lil hard.can you suggest anythg and let know where i went wrong
Thanks
Hi Veena,
Sounds like a yeast issue, did you use the right yeast, allowed it to rise well and hope it was not a very old batch of yeast….??? 🙁