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How to Bake Focaccia at Home

Focaccia is a wet dough bread that relies on time and olive oil for its signature texture. Mix flour, water, yeast, and salt into a shaggy dough, then let it rise slowly while you fold it periodically. The key is patience—let the dough nearly triple in size, then dimple it with your fingers, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until golden. The result is a bread with crispy edges and an impossibly light, hole-filled crumb.

Ingredients

Step by step

  1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together 500g bread flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast. Add 400ml room temperature water and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy, sticky mess. Don't knead—just get the flour hydrated. Cover with plastic wrap.
  2. Begin the bulk rise. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then wet your hands and perform the first fold. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you've folded all four sides. Cover again.
  3. Continue folding and rising. Repeat the folding process every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours—that's 4 folds total. After the final fold, let the dough rise undisturbed for 2-4 hours until nearly tripled in size. It should be jiggly and full of bubbles when you gently shake the bowl.
  4. Prepare for baking. Generously oil a 9x13 inch pan or large cast iron skillet with olive oil. Turn the dough into the pan—it will be very sticky and loose. Gently stretch it toward the corners without deflating it too much. Let it rest for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 450°F.
  5. Dimple and season. Oil your fingers and dimple the entire surface of the dough, pressing down to the bottom of the pan. This creates the characteristic focaccia texture. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Add any toppings like rosemary, cherry tomatoes, or olives.
  6. Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges are crispy and pulling away from the sides. The bottom should sound hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cutting board.

Tips & troubleshooting

Variations

Questions

Why is my focaccia dense instead of airy?
Usually this means the dough wasn't wet enough or didn't rise long enough. The dough should nearly triple in size and be full of visible bubbles. Also check that your yeast is active by testing it in warm water first.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes, but reduce the water slightly—start with 375ml instead of 400ml. All-purpose flour absorbs less water than bread flour, so the dough can become too sticky to handle.
How do I know when the bulk rise is complete?
The dough should be jiggly, nearly tripled in size, and full of visible bubbles on the surface and sides. If you gently poke it, it should spring back slowly but not completely.
Why didn't my focaccia get crispy on the bottom?
You need more oil in the pan, or your oven isn't hot enough. The oil should sizzle when the dough hits the pan. Also make sure you're baking on a lower oven rack where the heat is more intense.

Further reading