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This delicious Rosemary Focaccia Bread recipe is easy to make, and topped with fresh rosemary, olive oil and flaky sea salt.
Meet my all-time favorite focaccia bread recipe. ♡
It was actually one of the very first bread recipes that I learned to make years ago, and still continues to be a fave because it is so simple to make. And most importantly, it’s just so dang good.
It’s perfectly soft and fluffy and satisfyingly chewy. It’s sprinkled with lots of fresh rosemary and crunchy flaky sea salt, and drizzled with extra olive oil just before serving, which soaks perfectly into all of those little classic holes that you have poked in the bread. It’s easy to make by hand, or even easier to make with the help of a stand mixer. It also happens to be naturally vegan, and can be shaped into a free-form round or pressed into a rectangular baking dish. And best of all, it is just the ultimate cozy carbohydrate comfort food. I know you’re going to love it.
Also, if you happen to be new to working with yeast in bread, please don’t let that deter you from making focaccia! This recipe is a great place to begin when working with yeast, and I will walk you through each step of the process so that all of your questions are answered. You’ve got this.
Let’s make some rosemary focaccia!
Rosemary Focaccia Bread Ingredients:
To make this rosemary focaccia bread recipe (pronounced “foh-kah-chah”, by the way), you will need:
Warm water: Since we are working with active dry yeast in this recipe, it’s important that we use warm water to dissolve it. I highly recommend using a cooking thermometer to double-check the temperature of the water if possible. (It should be around 110°F.)
Sugar or honey: Whichever you have on hand, to give the bread a hint of sweetness and help to activate the yeast.
Active dry yeast: You will need one packet (or 2.25 teaspoons) to make this focaccia bread.
Flour: Basic all-purpose flour will be great!
Olive oil: Some of which we will mix into the actual bread dough, plus extra for drizzling on top once the focaccia has baked.
Flaky sea salt: Some of which we will mix into the actual bread dough, plus extra for sprinkling on top of the dough before baking. If you don’t have flaky sea salt on hand, you can use fine sea salt, but be sure to reduce the amount by half so that the bread isn’t too salty.
Fresh rosemary: To sprinkle on top of the dough and add that delicious earthy rosemary flavor. (Feel free to finely chop the fresh rosemary if you would like smaller rosemary sprinkles.)
How To Make Focaccia Bread:
Here are the basic steps to make this rosemary focaccia bread recipe (full instructions included in the recipe below, as always):
Proof the yeast. In the warm water and sugar. (I highly recommend using a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water, so that it is not too hot or too cold.)
Knead the dough*. Gradually add in the flour, olive oil and salt. Then knead for 5 minutes using the dough attachment or a stand mixer, or knead the dough by hand.
First dough rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased mixing bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest in a warm location for 45-60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Second dough rise. Shape the dough into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick*. Cover and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
Prepare the dough. Heat oven to 400°F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish). Use your fingers to poke deep dents — like seriously, poke all the way down until you touch the baking sheet — all over the surface of the dough. Then drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
Serve. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice, and serve warm.
*If you do not have a stand mixer, no prob! Just complete step 1 in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the flour, olive oil and salt until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough feels too sticky, and continue on with the recipe as directed.
Possible Recipe Variations:
Want to customize this recipe? Feel free to…
Add garlic. Finely mince and mix a large clove of fresh garlic into the dough to give it some extra garlicky flavor.
Add Parmesan. This focaccia would also be delicious with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!
Use different fresh herbs. In place of (or in addition to) the fresh rosemary, feel free to use fresh tarragon or sage.
Use dried herbs. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you are welcome to use dried herbs instead (such as dried rosemary or Italian seasoning). If you use dried herbs, I recommend kneading them into the dough itself rather than sprinkling them on top so that they do not burn in the oven.
More Favorite Bread Recipes:
Interested in doing some more bread-baking? Here are a few of my favorite easy bread recipes on the blog:
This Rosemary Focaccia Bread recipe is ultra-comforting and delicious, and kicked up a notch with the addition of lots of fresh rosemary and flaked sea salt. See optional instructions below for how to mix the dough by hand if you do not have a stand mixer.
Ingredients
Scale
1 1/3 cup warm water (about 110°F)
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
1 (0.25 ounce) package active-dry yeast
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Proof the yeast. Add warm water (about 110°F, which you can measure with a thermometer if you want to be sure it’s the right temp) and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy.
Knead the dough. (See alterate instructions below to knead by hand.) Set the mixer to low speed, and add gradually flour, olive oil and salt. Increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 5 minutes. (If the dough is too sticky and isn’t pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add in an extra 1/4 cup flour while it is mixing.)
First dough rise. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Place in a warm location (I set mine by a sunny window) and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.
Second dough rise. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a large circle or rectangle until that the dough is about 1/2-inch thick*. Cover the dough again with the damp towel, and let the dough continue to rise for another 20 minutes.
Prepare the dough. Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet (or press it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish). Use your fingers to poke deep dents (seriously, poke all the way down to the baking sheet!) all over the surface of the dough. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly all over the top of the dough, and sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary needles and sea salt.
Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.
Serve. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired. Slice, and serve warm.
Notes
Flaky vs. fine sea salt: If you do not have flaky sea salt on hand, no worries, you can definitely sub in fine sea salt. Just be sure to use about half the amount of salt (if using fine sea salt) so that the bread is not too salty.
To knead the dough by hand: Complete step 1 in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the flour, olive oil and salt until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough feels too sticky. Continue on with the recipe as directed.
Bread thickness: I like my focaccia to be a bit on the thicker side. But if you prefer yours thinner, just roll it out a little more. It will rise up considerably while baking.
This was my first time making focaccia, and this was a super easy recipe to follow! I added the rosemary directly to the dough and added 1 clove of minced garlic and about half a cup of parmesan cheese to the dough as well, then kneaded it all together. When it was time to bake, I sprinkled some rosemary and parmesan cheese on top. The end result was perfect. I baked for about 23 minutes.
Alexandra Emily —
We loved this recipe. Thank you for being so thorough and step by step whether with a stand mixer or by hand. We made it on the thinner side. Instead of just rosemary and sea salt, we jumped on the latest bread trend and created “bread art.” The addition of red onions, multicolor mini peppers and tomatoes, and asparagus was delicious!
I’m guessing that your yeast was old (i.e. dead) or the water was too hot and killed the active yeast.
Vicki —
I find that happens with either old yeast or old flour : (
Maggie —
A number of things could cause this. If you don’t see your yeast “foaming” during the first step: your water could be a bit too cold, your water could be a bit too hot, or your yeast could be too old. If you DO see your yeast foaming, then it’s likely that too much of the gas is being knocked out of the dough during transfer.
My daughter made this for Easter. The instructions were easy to follow and the bread turned out perfectly! We really enjoyed it!
Jo Ann —
I rarely leave reviews but I had to with this recipe. It was easy to follow and the results were fantastic. Great flavor, golden crust and wonderful texture. Hot out of the oven, we pulled it apart and simply dipped it in olive oil. Delicious!
Found this today and baked this today. OBSESSED and I just so happen to have a rosemary plant. I chose to split the dough and bake it in two, greased pie tins. I’m almost sad I committed to giving the other loaf to a friend. Thanks for the great post. Bread is my new obsession and I love that I can make it without having to wait a full day. You have a fan in me :)
Can or have you tried this with gluten free flours ?
Tessa Zeng —
We made it with Fioreglut gf flour – it is a wonderful gf flour from Italy that makes real bread! It’s the only way we’ve made successful focaccia gluten free ?
Hi, wondering if you can use instant dry yeast instead?
Penny —
I did and it worked perfect
Pet Parent —
If I could rate your recipe with six stars, I would! I am a baker of all breads. It is therapy for as an IT Manager. Because the need to multitask during this pandemic, decided to let the bread machine assist! Added yeast and water, bloomed, dough setting. First rise in bread machine, second rise on the counter. Following your directions I am rewarded with focaccia heaven!!! The crumb and texture are perfect! Thank you! Thank you!
I made this for the first time tonight to serve with homemade broccoli cheddar soup. So simple, easy and absolutely delicious! Will definitely save this recipe to make again.
Deepa Pariyangat —
Superb recipe. Loved it so much. Am making again and again.
Thank you for this recipe it was my first time making bread and using yeast. The flavor is wonderful. I was wondering if you could add fresh spouts to this bread? You’re thoughts.
Thanks again,
Denise
I love focaccia and have never made bread, but you have tempted me to give it a go. Your recipe sounds delicious. During the crazy times yeast is not easy to find, but I lucked out and was able to purchase some quick rise instant yeast. Can you use this for your recipe?
This recipe sounds delicious. I could only find instant yeast during these crazy times. How would I modify the recipe for this? Love your recipes and look forward to trying this one for dinner tonight. Thank you!
Thelma —
I used instant yeast, you can switch it and it’s gonna be fine!
First time making focaccia. I’ve been baking bread quite a bit lately, but this type was a first. It turned out perfectly and was a very easy recipe to follow. Like others I added some fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese to the dough. We could have made an entire meal of it. Dipped into a little bit of olive oil – YUM!
Not a huge fan of this recipe. Basic focaccia bread with rosemary sprinkled on top. It was good but not special. Will continue looking for more interesting ideas.
I have made focaccia a couple of times now and has come out the best using this recipe! Instead of putting it on parchment paper I liberally grease the pan with olive oil and put cherry tomatoes on top with the rosemary. It turns out amazing and fluffy!
Made this today, and it was DELICIOUS!! I will definitely be making it again soon. Easy, as well as faster and less ingredients than other focaccia recipes (making do with what’s at home!). Didn’t have rosemary, but it was still amazing just with salt!
WOW… never made this before but followed the easy instructions and it turned out amazing. I love garlic so added 1 large clove, finely chopped to the recipe and the same with the olive oil on top of the bread. Everyone loved it and the aromas were amazing. This has jumped to number 1 in my book of baking. Thank you.
Fantastic recipe !! Thank you so much! Turned out really soft and fluffy and it tastes so good! My focaccia only took 10 mins to bake because I made it a bit thinner but it was great!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I was looking for something to bake during this long quarantine. It’s delicious and has a wonderful fluffy consistency!!
Made this today – its delicious – but it was a bit dense – should I have proofed it more ?
Shantel —
This is most likely the case! Also be sure to proof the bread in a warm area. I turn my oven on low (about 180c) and let the bread proof on my stove so it gets the warmth from the oven :)
Amazing and really simple! This may be one of the simplest breads I have ever made and the results were fabulous! I have used two different all-purpose flours, a mixture with bread flour…it doesn’t seem to matter, they all are amazing. I can’t get over how well it rose and just the AMAZING flavor. This is a keeper and makes a fabulous gift. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
Fantastic recipe! I’m a new baker and these steps were so easy to follow! Perfect size for making in my toaster oven too. I didn’t have fresh rosemary, so added dried herbs and chopped garlic into the dough. I baked it a couple of hours ago, and there’s not much left!
I used dried rosemary as that was all I had, and mixed it into the dough as suggested (about 2/3 of a tsp). Also used kosher salt instead of the flaky sea salt. Turned out super yummy and now I have to try not to eat it all at once.
Hi. Was wondering what speed number medium low is – is this speed 4? I read that Kneading should just be done at speed 2 so im kinda of confused since I only purchased my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer recently.
I’ve just been buzzsawing through Gimme Some Oven’s recipes! This focaccia was very easy to make and tastes great. I ended up using closer to 4 1/4C of flour, but it is also humid here to TN today so maybe that’s why. I didn’t have any fresh rosemary so I used Italian seasoning instead and didn’t see the note to mix into the dough instead of sprinkling on top, but it came out fine. Nothing burned.
I baked on a large sheetpan and took around 25 minutes. Flavor is great and I will definitely make again and try other flavor combos.
I made this today after a few failed attempts using another recipe that I found on Pinterest. I substituted active dry yeast for instant yeast (just used 25 percent less) and all purpose flour for bread flour. This was phenomenal. Very tasty and also amazing texture. I’m going to try it again with other toppings next time but the fresh rosemary was very good.
When first putting together my dough was very very dry and not wet like in your picture, and after I kneaded it by hand it became very dense and almost hard. Do you think I need to add more olive oil or water?
I am not a baker but this turned out great! I’m wondering if anyone has used it as a pizza crust and if so did you partially bake prior to adding toppings and then finished baking after toppings were added?
This was my first time making focaccia, and this was a super easy recipe to follow! I added the rosemary directly to the dough and added 1 clove of minced garlic and about half a cup of parmesan cheese to the dough as well, then kneaded it all together. When it was time to bake, I sprinkled some rosemary and parmesan cheese on top. The end result was perfect. I baked for about 23 minutes.
We loved this recipe. Thank you for being so thorough and step by step whether with a stand mixer or by hand. We made it on the thinner side. Instead of just rosemary and sea salt, we jumped on the latest bread trend and created “bread art.” The addition of red onions, multicolor mini peppers and tomatoes, and asparagus was delicious!
Hi. Can this bread be made the day before you eat it? Should it be warned before eating? Thank you.
Yes you should definitely warn the bread before eating it! “I am going to eat you!”
Why doesn’t my dough rise?
I’m guessing that your yeast was old (i.e. dead) or the water was too hot and killed the active yeast.
I find that happens with either old yeast or old flour : (
A number of things could cause this. If you don’t see your yeast “foaming” during the first step: your water could be a bit too cold, your water could be a bit too hot, or your yeast could be too old. If you DO see your yeast foaming, then it’s likely that too much of the gas is being knocked out of the dough during transfer.
My daughter made this for Easter. The instructions were easy to follow and the bread turned out perfectly! We really enjoyed it!
I rarely leave reviews but I had to with this recipe. It was easy to follow and the results were fantastic. Great flavor, golden crust and wonderful texture. Hot out of the oven, we pulled it apart and simply dipped it in olive oil. Delicious!
Found this today and baked this today. OBSESSED and I just so happen to have a rosemary plant. I chose to split the dough and bake it in two, greased pie tins. I’m almost sad I committed to giving the other loaf to a friend. Thanks for the great post. Bread is my new obsession and I love that I can make it without having to wait a full day. You have a fan in me :)
Can or have you tried this with gluten free flours ?
We made it with Fioreglut gf flour – it is a wonderful gf flour from Italy that makes real bread! It’s the only way we’ve made successful focaccia gluten free ?
Hi, wondering if you can use instant dry yeast instead?
I did and it worked perfect
If I could rate your recipe with six stars, I would! I am a baker of all breads. It is therapy for as an IT Manager. Because the need to multitask during this pandemic, decided to let the bread machine assist! Added yeast and water, bloomed, dough setting. First rise in bread machine, second rise on the counter. Following your directions I am rewarded with focaccia heaven!!! The crumb and texture are perfect! Thank you! Thank you!
I made this for the first time tonight to serve with homemade broccoli cheddar soup. So simple, easy and absolutely delicious! Will definitely save this recipe to make again.
Superb recipe. Loved it so much. Am making again and again.
Thank you for this recipe it was my first time making bread and using yeast. The flavor is wonderful. I was wondering if you could add fresh spouts to this bread? You’re thoughts.
Thanks again,
Denise
I have a lot of “bread flour”. Would that work in your recipe?
Thanks
I used strong bread flour and it worked perfectly
I love focaccia and have never made bread, but you have tempted me to give it a go. Your recipe sounds delicious. During the crazy times yeast is not easy to find, but I lucked out and was able to purchase some quick rise instant yeast. Can you use this for your recipe?
This recipe sounds delicious. I could only find instant yeast during these crazy times. How would I modify the recipe for this? Love your recipes and look forward to trying this one for dinner tonight. Thank you!
I used instant yeast, you can switch it and it’s gonna be fine!
Amazing bread! Very easy directions and now the kids are asking for this daily.
Made this last night and my entire family of 7 loved it! Great recipe!
Is it ok to use rapid rise yeast?
First time making focaccia. I’ve been baking bread quite a bit lately, but this type was a first. It turned out perfectly and was a very easy recipe to follow. Like others I added some fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese to the dough. We could have made an entire meal of it. Dipped into a little bit of olive oil – YUM!
Just finished making this recipe and it turned out fantastic. I added black olives and cherry tomatoes also fabulous . Thanks for the recipe.
Can I still use this recipe with instant yeast? It’s all I have (and all I’ve been able to find in the store).
I used instant yeast, followed the activation process in the recipe and it definitely worked for me.
This was a great recipe, it worked perfectly. I baked it in a cast iron pan and it was fantastic.
Chloe- did you use a 10” cast iron pan?
Not a huge fan of this recipe. Basic focaccia bread with rosemary sprinkled on top. It was good but not special. Will continue looking for more interesting ideas.
Made this over the weekend and it was so easy and delicious!
I have made focaccia a couple of times now and has come out the best using this recipe! Instead of putting it on parchment paper I liberally grease the pan with olive oil and put cherry tomatoes on top with the rosemary. It turns out amazing and fluffy!
Does it matter if I leave the dough to rest / prove for longer on the first or second prove?
Made this today, and it was DELICIOUS!! I will definitely be making it again soon. Easy, as well as faster and less ingredients than other focaccia recipes (making do with what’s at home!). Didn’t have rosemary, but it was still amazing just with salt!
This is the first Focaccia recipe that has really worked for me – thank you so much!
WOW… never made this before but followed the easy instructions and it turned out amazing. I love garlic so added 1 large clove, finely chopped to the recipe and the same with the olive oil on top of the bread. Everyone loved it and the aromas were amazing. This has jumped to number 1 in my book of baking. Thank you.
Made this for dinner tonight, delicious! Definitely a keeper.
Fantastic recipe !! Thank you so much! Turned out really soft and fluffy and it tastes so good! My focaccia only took 10 mins to bake because I made it a bit thinner but it was great!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I was looking for something to bake during this long quarantine. It’s delicious and has a wonderful fluffy consistency!!
thank you soo much for this recipe my sister made it and we alll loved it it tasted so good
Made this today – its delicious – but it was a bit dense – should I have proofed it more ?
This is most likely the case! Also be sure to proof the bread in a warm area. I turn my oven on low (about 180c) and let the bread proof on my stove so it gets the warmth from the oven :)
Made this today. Thank you for the delicious and easy to follow recipe! (Mixed dried thyme and rosemary into dough. Baked for 25 mins.)
If I’m looking to make this thicker/fluffier, can I double the recipe? What would you suggest as the baking time?
Thank you so much for your recipe. Very easy and the texture is just right! It’s a great base, now I can play with other ingredients! :)
Amazing and really simple! This may be one of the simplest breads I have ever made and the results were fabulous! I have used two different all-purpose flours, a mixture with bread flour…it doesn’t seem to matter, they all are amazing. I can’t get over how well it rose and just the AMAZING flavor. This is a keeper and makes a fabulous gift. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
Fantastic recipe! I’m a new baker and these steps were so easy to follow! Perfect size for making in my toaster oven too. I didn’t have fresh rosemary, so added dried herbs and chopped garlic into the dough. I baked it a couple of hours ago, and there’s not much left!
I used dried rosemary as that was all I had, and mixed it into the dough as suggested (about 2/3 of a tsp). Also used kosher salt instead of the flaky sea salt. Turned out super yummy and now I have to try not to eat it all at once.
Hi. Was wondering what speed number medium low is – is this speed 4? I read that Kneading should just be done at speed 2 so im kinda of confused since I only purchased my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer recently.
This was one amazing recipe! Everything I make usually fails but this turned out fantastic.
Can I make this with my sourdough starter?
I’ve just been buzzsawing through Gimme Some Oven’s recipes! This focaccia was very easy to make and tastes great. I ended up using closer to 4 1/4C of flour, but it is also humid here to TN today so maybe that’s why. I didn’t have any fresh rosemary so I used Italian seasoning instead and didn’t see the note to mix into the dough instead of sprinkling on top, but it came out fine. Nothing burned.
I baked on a large sheetpan and took around 25 minutes. Flavor is great and I will definitely make again and try other flavor combos.
I enjoyed this bread, I don’t care for rosemary so I used garlic, oregano and basil instead. Served it with a balsamic olive oil dip
Your recipe is fantastic, easy and successful.
Use my bread machine on dough cycle then do the rest of your recipe .
So easy and yummy!
I cooked it in a cast iron skillet and it turned out AMAZING!!!
Thanks for sharing your great recipes! :)
I made this today after a few failed attempts using another recipe that I found on Pinterest. I substituted active dry yeast for instant yeast (just used 25 percent less) and all purpose flour for bread flour. This was phenomenal. Very tasty and also amazing texture. I’m going to try it again with other toppings next time but the fresh rosemary was very good.
Loved this recipe! Everyone loved it in my family.
When first putting together my dough was very very dry and not wet like in your picture, and after I kneaded it by hand it became very dense and almost hard. Do you think I need to add more olive oil or water?
Would it work to bake this in a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet? I think it’s 12 inches. Thanks!
This was my 1st time making foccacia bread or any bread of some sort. Was very easy and very yummy!
I am not a baker but this turned out great! I’m wondering if anyone has used it as a pizza crust and if so did you partially bake prior to adding toppings and then finished baking after toppings were added?