Rosemary Focaccia Bread, the most delicious homemade Italian bread that can be enjoyed as a side dish or just on its own. It’s a lot easier to make than you think, and a lot tastier than any store-bought version. Full of flavour, and baked to perfection, my rosemary focaccia is a real treat.
Making bread is certainly an art. Good old days when we used to consume only freshly-baked homemade bread. I know it’s easier to buy the ready-made one, but, although there’s an abundance of choices out there, the quality is rather poor. And I can’t even say cheap price either.
This traditional Italian bread is one of its kind. Baked to perfection, with olive oil being a key ingredient, and the rosemary bringing so much flavour, it’s hard to have only one piece. I was nearly in a carbs coma after eating way too much focaccia today, although I did enjoy every single mouthful. Back to my low-carb resolutions tomorrow, I hope.
What is focaccia?
Focaccia is a flat Italian bread that has the texture of a pizza dough. It’s beautifully fragrant, with rosemary being one of the most popular herb choice. Other common toppings are thyme, olives, cherry tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, grapes and so on.
How TO make traditional focaccia bread
My recipe is well simplified, it might not be authentic, but it’s close to perfection. There is something about kneading the dough by hand though, I find it relaxing, and most therapeutic, so I always choose this way. The main ingredients for making focaccia are:
- strong white bread flour
- yeast
- salt
- olive oil
- water
- rosemary
Now, my recipe uses extra olive oil and water as a finishing touch before being baked. It’s not a very common technique, but it works wonders, so I highly recommend this step.
- First, sift the flour, add the yeast, salt and warm water, olive oil and knead well into a dough. Add more flour if necessary, we need a non-stick dough that is nicely stretched.
- Shape it into a dough, brush with olive oil and leave to prove until it doubles its size
- Roll it into a round, then leave to prove again on a baking tray until it rises beautifully
- Mix the oil, water and rosemary, pour it over the dough, then use your finger to poke it in several places
- Bake in the preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius (430 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until golden
It’s absolutely amazing, baked so beautifully, and it smells like heaven. If you like homemade bread, how about some Easy No-Yeast Yogurt Flatbread? Or some Soda Bread (No Yeast)?
If you’ve liked the RUSTIC ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Rosemary Focaccia Bread, the most delicious homemade Italian bread that can be enjoyed as a side dish or just on its own. It's a lot easier to make than you think, and a lot tastier than any store-bought version. Full of flavour, and baked to perfection, my rosemary focaccia is a real treat. It tastes absolutely amazing, and it has a delicate olive oil kick that is hard to miss. Add any veggies to it, and you'll love every single bite!
- 325 g strong white bread flour
- 2 tsp dried fast-action yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200 ml warm water
- 30 ml warm water
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
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In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the yeast, salt, water and oil, and knead well into a dough for at least 5 minutes.
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Add more flour if necessary, until the dough no longer sticks to the hands and is stretchy.
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Brush with olive oil, cover with a clean towel, and leave to proof for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
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Use a rolling pin to roll into a circle, then transfer to a baking tray and leave to prove again for at least 30 minutes.
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Mix the warm water with oil and rosemary, and drizzle it over the dough.
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Use your finger to poke the dough in several places
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Bake in the preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius (430 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until golden.
- If you'd like to see the ingredients listed in cups and ounces, please check the US Customary Link.
- Also, the amount of ingredients changes depending on the servings, so click on the number listed to change it to the number you prefer.
