A Fluffy Focaccia Recipe in 7 Simple Steps

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If you want an easy focaccia recipe that delivers a fluffy and versatile bread, look no further. In just 7 easy steps you are going to be enjoying a flavorful bread that will have you feeling like you are summering in southern Italy! 

While many bread recipes can be daunting and take days for full development, this focaccia is a fluffy bread that can be made start to finish in one day without compromising the flavor.  

If you are like me (overindulgent), you probably like to enjoy a nice piece of bread with lunch or dinner. It makes it all the better when it is homemade. The beauty of this recipe is that you can have all the joys of a handmade artisan tasting dough without too much hassle.  

This post is all about a simple focaccia recipe resulting in a fluffy and delightful loaf of bread.

Let’s break down each step to making this focaccia bread recipe.  

1. Make the Dough

In order to make the best focaccia recipe you have to start with simple good quality ingredients. Gather the following ingredients to start your dough. 

You can either mix the dough by hand or with a stand mixer. Both methods work fine. The stand mixer method will save your hands from becoming a big mess. 

To make the focaccia dough start by adding the flour and yeast into your bowl or stand mixer. Make a small well in the center where you will add your wet ingredients. 

Measure out your water, olive oil, salt, and combine in a separate bowl. Then add the wet mixture to the well you just made.  

Mix the dough until all the ingredients are combined and you have a wet and sticky mixture. Keep mixing for another 5 minutes to develop the gluten.  

Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled stainless steel mixing bowl. 

2. Initial Proofing

Now that the dough is made you are ready to start the first proofing of your fluffy focaccia.  

Because this focaccia recipe is done in one day we are not proofing the dough overnight which we might do for a more traditional focaccia recipe.  

Cover the bowl the dough is in with a tight layer of plastic film and find a slightly warm spot in your kitchen. This could be by a window with some sun coming in or near a stove top.  

The dough is now going to rest for four hours.  

3. Final Proofing

Once the dough has been proofing for four hours it should double in size.  

At this point you will want to get a 9 x 11 baking pan and lightly oil it with extra virgin olive oil. Don’t forget to oil the sides as well. Turn your dough out of the bowl and into the pan.  

We do not want to lose the dough’s volume so be gentle when moving the dough. With wet fingers gently spread the dough to fit into the corners of the pan.  

Once the dough is spread to fit the pan it is ready for the second proofing. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place it in an oven turned off with only the oven light on. 

The focaccia dough will need to prove like this for one hour. 

4. Shaping

This step is the most fun and what makes focaccia so recognizable. In this step we are poking the trademark holes into the dough. 

To start, remove the dough from the oven and remove the plastic wrap. The dough should have almost doubled in size again.  

With wet fingers again start from the top of the pan and push your fingers into the dough all the way until you touch the bottom of the pan. Continue this until you reach the end of the pan. 

This process is to add air so be careful not to deflate the dough. Avoid deflation by spreading your fingers evenly and doing this process only once.

5. Toppings

There are endless possibilities for this step. Most often a rosemary focaccia recipe will simply have a few sprigs of rosemary and olive oil. However, feel free to try alternative toppings. Some traditional focaccia recipes may include olives. You can also try using mushrooms, onions, chilis or other dried herbs.

For this focaccia recipe, to make a more interesting bread we are going to be adding seasoned cherry tomatoes as the toppings. 

In a small mixing bowl add some halved cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and dried oregano. Mix that all together until each tomato is well coated.  

To top the focaccia, place a halved cherry tomato cut side up on the top of each hole we just poked in the dough.  

Be careful not to push the tomato down into the hole as this will result in the tomato being baked inside the dough instead of on top. 

6. Bake The Focaccia Bread

To get a nice golden color on the dough we will need a hot oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Once the oven is preheated bake the dough for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top with an internal temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit.  

7. Serve The Fluffy Focaccia

Now that the focaccia is done baking remove it from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes.  

What makes focaccia so great is that it can be served in so many ways.  

I recommend enjoying it sliced with nothing but a little drizzle of olive oil and some flaky sea salt on top.  

Other great ways to serve it could be as follows: