Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe with Rosemary & Olives
Introduction
Welcome to Vito’s Italian Cucina! Today, Miss Natalie is sharing her homemade focaccia bread recipe, featuring a fluffy interior, fragrant rosemary, olives, garlic, and plenty of olive oil.
Focaccia is a classic Italian bread known for its airy texture, golden surface, and delicious olive oil flavor. This easy focaccia bread recipe uses simple ingredients, including bread flour, active dry yeast, warm water, salt, and honey. Fresh rosemary, olives, and garlic add wonderful flavor to the finished bread.
If you’ve been wondering how to make focaccia bread at home, Natalie’s recipe is a great place to start. Follow along with her preparation method, allow the dough time to rise, and enjoy homemade Italian focaccia fresh from the oven.
See How to Make Homemade Focaccia Bread
Watch Natalie prepare her homemade focaccia, from mixing the dough and folding it gently to adding rosemary, olives, and garlic.
Homemade Focaccia Bread Recipe
This rosemary focaccia bread is made with a simple dough that is gently stretched and folded to help preserve the air bubbles inside. After rising, the dough is topped with olive oil, rosemary, olives, and garlic before baking.
Recipe overview
- Recipe name: Miss Natalie’s Focaccia Bread
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Course: Bread, Appetizer, or Side Dish
- Preparation: Mixing, folding, and rising
- Rising time: Approximately 2 hours, as described in the video
- Baking time: Confirm with the original video
- Yield: To be confirmed
Ingredients for Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe with Rosemary & Olives
For the focaccia dough
- 1¾ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups bread flour 12% protein or higher
For the topping
- Olive oil for coating the dough and pan
- Fresh rosemary
- Approximately 10 olives cut in half
- Garlic as shown in the video
Ingredient note:
- The transcript does not specify the exact quantity of garlic or the total amount of olive oil used for coating. Add those amounts based on the original video before publishing a finalized recipe card.
How to Make Focaccia Bread
Step 1: Mix the water, yeast, salt, and honey
Add 1¾ cups of warm water to a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast, followed by 2 teaspoons of fine salt and 1 teaspoon of honey.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix everything together.
Step 2: Add the bread flour
Add 4 cups of bread flour with a protein content of 12% or higher. Mix until the ingredients come together to form a dough.
Bread flour with sufficient protein helps develop the gluten structure that gives focaccia its characteristic texture.
Step 3: Let the dough rest
Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
This short resting period gives the flour time to absorb the water and makes the dough easier to handle during the next step.
Step 4: Stretch and fold the dough
Remove the towel and gently stretch and fold the dough twice, following Natalie’s technique in the video.
Be gentle when handling the dough. As Natalie explains, the air bubbles are an important part of focaccia, so you want to preserve as much of that air as possible.
Step 5: Turn and handle the dough gently
Turn the dough so the smooth side faces upward. Gently tuck it into shape without pressing out the bubbles.
This careful handling helps create the airy structure associated with fluffy focaccia bread.
Step 6: Coat the dough with olive oil
Place the dough in the prepared baking vessel and coat it generously with olive oil, as shown in the video.
Allow the dough to rise for approximately two hours, following Natalie’s method. The dough should become airy and visibly expanded.
Step 7: Prepare the rosemary and olives
Prepare the fresh rosemary by removing the woody stems. Natalie coats the rosemary with olive oil to help prevent it from burning during baking.
Cut approximately 10 olives in half. Prepare the garlic topping as shown in the original video.
Step 8: Add the toppings
Gently arrange the rosemary, halved olives, and garlic over the risen dough. Drizzle or spread olive oil over the surface as needed.
Avoid pressing too firmly, as the goal is to preserve the dough’s air bubbles while distributing the toppings.
Step 9: Bake the focaccia
Bake the focaccia according to the temperature and timing shown in Natalie’s original video. The supplied transcript does not confirm the exact oven temperature or baking duration, so these details should be checked before publishing.
The focaccia should develop a golden surface while remaining airy inside.
Step 10: Serve and enjoy
Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before cutting it into squares or strips. Serve it as an appetizer, a side for pasta, or a delicious homemade bread for sharing.
Enjoy Miss Natalie’s rosemary, olive, and garlic focaccia fresh from the oven!
Tips for Making the Best Focaccia Bread
A few important techniques help make homemade focaccia light, flavorful, and satisfying.
- Use suitable bread flour: Natalie recommends bread flour with at least 12% protein.
- Handle the dough gently: Stretch and fold carefully to preserve air bubbles.
- Allow enough rising time: The video describes approximately two hours for the rise.
- Use good-quality olive oil: Olive oil contributes to focaccia’s flavor and texture.
- Prepare the rosemary properly: Remove the woody stems and coat the rosemary with olive oil to help prevent burning.
- Distribute the toppings evenly: Arrange the olives, rosemary, and garlic across the dough.
- Follow the original baking instructions: Confirm the oven temperature and baking time from the video for the best results.
More Homemade Italian Recipes
Discover more delicious recipes from Vito’s Italian Cucina, from comforting pasta dishes to classic Italian appetizers.
- Vito’s Baked Ziti
- Sunday Sauce with Vito
- Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
- Homemade Arancini: An Italian Delicacy
What to Serve with Rosemary Olive Focaccia
This homemade focaccia bread is delicious on its own, but it also pairs well with Italian meals. Serve it alongside pasta, soup, salads, or a selection of appetizers.
Try these recipes from Vito’s Italian Cucina:
- Vito’s Tri-Tip and Potato – A hearty meal featuring tri-tip and potatoes.
- Struffoli Honey Balls – Discover a classic Italian honey-ball dessert.
- Italian Banana Bread with Natalie – Make homemade banana bread with Natalie.
- Natalie’s Pumpkin Butter Muffins – Try Natalie’s pumpkin butter muffins for a sweet homemade treat.
- Cunnings Celebrity Cinnamon Coffee Cake – Enjoy a cinnamon coffee cake recipe from Vito’s Italian Cucina.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the secret to great focaccia?
One important secret is preserving the air bubbles in the dough. Natalie gently stretches and folds the dough rather than handling it roughly. Adequate rising time, good-quality olive oil, and carefully prepared toppings also contribute to flavorful focaccia.
2. Is focaccia healthy or unhealthy?
Focaccia can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. It provides carbohydrates from flour and fat from olive oil. Its nutritional value depends on portion size, ingredients, and the amount of oil and toppings used. This recipe’s exact nutrition information should be calculated from the finalized ingredient quantities.
3. Which flour is best for focaccia?
Natalie uses bread flour with a protein content of 12% or higher. Bread flour helps develop the gluten structure needed for an airy, chewy texture. For this particular recipe, follow the flour specification given in the video.
4. What are the main ingredients in focaccia?
The main ingredients in Natalie’s focaccia dough are warm water, active dry yeast, fine salt, honey, olive oil, and bread flour. The topping includes rosemary, olives, garlic, and additional olive oil.
