Rosemary focaccia
Rosemary focaccia is an Italian bread with a light crumb and golden crust. The moist dough is folded several times during rising, and before baking, indentations are made on the surface to collect olive oil.
Additional 2 h 30 min — resting and proofing
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Mix the dough
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and 10 grams of regular salt. Pour in water at about 30 °C and 20 ml of oil. Mix with a spatula until all the dry flour disappears: the dough will be moist and sticky, which is normal for focaccia.
First fold
Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. Using wet hands, lift the edge of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it towards the center. Repeat on all sides, turning the bowl; do not add flour to achieve the desired density.
Repeat the rise
After another 30 minutes, perform a fold on all sides again. Cover and let it rise for another 60 minutes until noticeable volume increase and bubble formation. Adjust based on room temperature if it is cool.
Transfer to the pan
Grease a metal baking sheet measuring about 30 × 40 cm with 25 ml of oil. Transfer the dough, gently stretch it to the edges, and let it rest under a cover for 30 minutes. If it retracts back, give it some time to relax before stretching again without tearing.
Make indentations
Heat the oven to 220 °C. Pour the remaining 25 ml oil over the dough. Use oiled fingertips to press dimples close together, almost to the base of the pan, then scatter with rosemary leaves and coarse sea salt.
Bake and cool
Bake for 25–30 minutes until a deep golden crust and fully baked, springy crumb. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a rack at least to warm before slicing to prevent the bottom crust from becoming soggy.
Little hint
The stickiness does not mean there is insufficient flour in the dough: for a light focaccia, high moisture content is crucial. Work with wet or oiled hands and do not press down on risen dough during transfer.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
The stickiness does not mean there is insufficient flour in the dough: for a light focaccia, high moisture content is crucial. Work with wet or oiled hands and do not press down on risen dough during transfer.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and 10 grams of regular salt. Pour in water at about 30 °C and 20 ml of oil. Mix with a spatula until all the dry flour disappears: the dough will be moist and sticky, which is normal for focaccia.
