Rosemary Focaccia Bread from Scratch

Name: Rosemary Focaccia Bread from Scratch
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 whole Active Dry Yeast; 2.75 cups Bread Flour; 1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt; 6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil; 2 tsp Fresh Rosemary; 0.75 tsp Salt; 0.25 cup Semolina; 1 cup Water

Appetizer 🧄Side Dish 🥗Snack 🍿 Italian 🇮🇹 Low-Sodium Vegetarian 🥦Vegan 🌱Plant-Based 🌻Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

Rosemary Focaccia Bread from Scratch bakes up with a golden, olive oil–kissed crust and a pillowy, airy interior. Fragrant rosemary and coarse sea salt accent each bite, while generous oil creates delicate edges and deep, satisfying dimples. Serve warm alongside pasta, as a shareable starter, or for sandwiches at lunch or dinner.

Prep30 mins
Cook15 mins
Serves6
DifficultyMedium

1

Whisk the yeast with warm water in a mixing bowl; then whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the salt, semolina flour, and 2 teaspoons rosemary until well combined. Using a wooden spoon, mix in 2 1/2 cups bread flour until the dough becomes too stiff and sticky to stir.
2

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, dusting with the remaining 1/4 cup bread flour as needed, until the dough is soft, smooth, and slightly elastic, 2 to 3 minutes.
3

Drizzle the dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread the oil over the dough. Knead briefly, about 2 minutes, to work in the olive oil. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon oil. Knead 2 or 3 more minutes to incorporate the olive oil. Drizzle the dough with 1 more tablespoon oil and knead it in as before. If the dough seems too sticky, knead in a little more flour. Continue kneading until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, 1 to 2 more minutes (7 to 8 minutes total kneading time).
4

Drizzle 1 more tablespoon olive oil into a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn it several times to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
5

Lightly coat a sheet pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Turn the dough into the pan and gently press it into a rough rectangle with your fingers, pressing out air bubbles. Loosely cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and let rest 15 to 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
6

Drizzle 1 tablespoon more olive oil onto the dough, spread the oil over the surface, and press 3 or 4 oil-coated fingers deeply into the dough to make dimples all over. Push the holes all the way to the bottom of the pan. Continue making holes to cover the entire surface with dimples. Let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes.
7

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
8

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons minced rosemary over the top of the dough. Drizzle 1 more tablespoon olive oil onto the surface and brush it on very lightly to avoid moving the rosemary. Sprinkle with sea salt.
9

Bake in the preheated oven until the focaccia loaf is lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes. Brush 1 last tablespoon olive oil onto the loaf. Transfer to a rack and let cool before cutting.