Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia  Bread

Warm and buttery Italian garlic and rosemary focaccia bread made with olive oil infused rosemary, thyme and garlic. This luscious bread will satisfy any craving!

When Jacob and I were in Florence this past February, we stayed at a lovely Airbnb. Our host, Heather, was so wonderful! I certainly recommend staying with her if you find yourself in beautiful Florence. (And if you do decide to try out Airbnb, which you definitely should, you can use my reader exclusive credit and get $40 off your first trip!)

Heather suggested that we get some focaccia bread from the local bakery in the city. She told us to try some bread from Pugi, which is known to have the best focaccia in all of Florence. Of course the foodie in me just had try every Italian food (like pizza, pasta, tiramisu, gelato, all that good stuff) while on my trip, so naturally I had to get my hands on the bread as soon as I could.

Upon walking into the bakery, we were overwhelmed with the scent of olive oil and garlic…I’m a sucker for that smell! We shared a small piece of the original focaccia bread and it was sooo good! Boy, am I glad that we listened to Heather’s recommendation! Having never tried focaccia in my life, I felt like I had died and gone to bread heaven after tasting it. I’ll admit, I was sad I didn’t have time to go get some more during our short stay in Florence.

In a mad attempt to try to recreate the Italian bread at home, I came across a delicious recipe for focaccia bread which I decided to adapt for my blog. While it’s obviously not quite as authentic as true Italian focaccia, it certainly satisfied my craving for the delicious bread. This recipe is a super easy way to bring the taste of an Italian bakery to your home, plus the spices and olive oil make your kitchen smell so good!

What do you eat focaccia bread with?

While focaccia bread is absolutely delicious on its own, it is the perfect accompaniment to pasta, soup, or salad. It also makes the perfect sandwich bread when you feel like spicing up your plain old white bread sandwich!

What is the difference between focaccia bread and ciabatta bread?

With so many different kinds of Italian breads it can be hard to keep them straight! While the two breads use very similar ingredients, they are quite different in many ways. Focaccia has a texture similar to pizza dough, whereas ciabatta is denser and not as soft. Focaccia is made as a flatbread and ciabatta is baked in loaves. And when it comes to enjoying the two breads, focaccia is often used as the base for pizzas, sandwich bread or flatbread topped with different meats and cheeses. Ciabatta is primarily used as a sandwich bread.

How do you store focaccia bread?

Focaccia will keep at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. The bread can be reheated in the oven at 375F for 10 minutes. If you want to save the focaccia for later, it can be frozen for up to 1 month.

If you like this recipe, you’ll also want to try my other bread recipes.

• Homemade Pita Bread
• Greek Easter Bread
• Japanese Milk Bread
• Hot Cross Buns with Cream Cheese Icing
• Quick and Easy Soda Bread
• Light and Fluffy Brioche Bread
• Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels

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Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Prep Time

1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 hr 50 mins

 

Warm and buttery Italian garlic and rosemary focaccia bread made with olive oil infused rosemary, thyme and garlic. This luscious bread will satisfy any craving!

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. In a medium frying pan, add olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Heat on low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add water, yeast, and honey. Stir, and let rest for 5 minutes or until yeast starts to bubble. Add in 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of the olive oil mixture. Stir until the flour is just combined. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes.

3. Mix in the remaining flour and the salt. On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Rise for one hour.

4. Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 400 F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil onto the bottom of a quarter baking sheet or 9x13 pan.  

5. Place the dough into the pan, and stretch it to the sides of the pan until it completely covers the bottom. Using the tips of your fingers, indent the surface of the dough several times. Brush the remaining olive oil on top of the dough.

6. Allow the dough to rest for another 20 minutes. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.

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