Fluffy Focaccia Bread Recipe
Serve this fluffy focaccia bread recipe for a delicious appetizer, snack, or side to pair with dinner. A delightful homemade focaccia dough topped with asparagus stems, red onions, and salt and pepper, it makes a gorgeous presentation that will wow your family or a crowd.
Fluffy Focaccia Bread
This is the best focaccia bread we’ve ever tasted. It’s a soft and chewy Italian bread, typically topped with olive oil, fresh herbs, and veggies. This bread is lovely to serve all year round, from a spring picnic to a holiday family gathering. There is nothing like homemade bread to elevate the dinner table.
We love our Maryland crab dip or olive tapenade spread on this focaccia bread. It’s also delicious toasted with butter or as a side for a big bowl of homemade tomato soup. Dipping is strongly encouraged!
Recipe Ingredients
You probably have a lot of these ingredients in your pantry now to make this fluffy focaccia bread recipe. Pick up the fresh ingredients of asparagus and red onion, and you’ll be set.
- flour
- instant yeast
- olive oil
- coarse salt
- asparagus
- red onion
- fresh ground black pepper
How to Make this Fluffy Focaccia Bread Recipe
Pour flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add warm water into the well.
Sprinkle yeast over the water.
Slowly stir until a rough mass of dough forms.
Stir in the salt and olive oil, mixing together until a sticky dough forms.
Turn out the dough on a very lightly floured surface. This dough is very sticky, so use the stretch and fold kneading method for about 5-7 minutes. This will allow some air to get into the dough. It should eventually stick to itself instead of your hands.
Rub oil into a medium bowl and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise until a little over doubled in size. Depending on the temperature in your house, this should take 60-90 minutes.
Prep your toppings while the dough is rising. Slice onions into very thin half circles. Slice the asparagus on a diagonal into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces.
Pour 2 tbsp of the olive oil into a 9”x13” pan, spreading it evenly along the bottom. Place the dough in the pan. Gently stretch the dough out with your fingers all the way to the corners.
Cover the dough again and allow to rise for 30-60 minutes until it’s 1.5x the size. While the dough is rising, heat the oven again to 450°F.
Spread a little oil on your hands, and push a lot of dimples into the dough. Drizzle the rest of the oil , about ¼ cup, over the top of the dough.
Gently push the onions and pieces of asparagus into the top of the dough. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Bake the dough for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and very firm.
Allow the focaccia to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. The bread needs to cool for at least another 20 minutes before cutting.
Tips & Variations
- Kneading the wet dough is essential to helping work the dough so it forms the proper texture.
- Before you work the dough, you can spread parchment paper over the counter with some flour for less mess.
- Placing the bread dough in a warm place will help the mixture quickly rise.
- Make sure to bake the bread in a preheated oven. Let the oven preheat for 5-10 minutes before placing it in to bake.
- You can use bread flour, which creates a chewier texture. Bread flour does contain more gluten.
- You could also top with fresh rosemary, thyme, or other fresh herbs. You can do this before baking or after.
- Consider sprinkling the top of the bread dough with parmesan cheese, mozzarella, feta crumbles, or other types of cheese.
- You can swap out the asparagus with zucchini, tomatoes, or even olives. I can’t wait to try olives the next time.
- You can add spices instead of kosher salt and crushed black pepper, such as garlic powder, crushed red pepper, onion, or your favorite.
- Once your bread is done, add some balsamic vinegar glaze over the top. It complements the extra virgin olive oil and adds sweetness.
- Transform the dough into a focaccia pizza. Spread out the dough, and then once it double rises, top with some tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, and top with your favorite pizza toppings.
How to Store Focaccia Bread
Once you allow the bread to cool thoroughly, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.
You may also freeze the focaccia. Wrap the bread with plastic wrap or foil. You can wrap the whole loaf or slice it into individual slices. Then, place the bread in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw the bread on the counter until thawed, and then enjoy as you like.
How to Serve It
Foccacia is often served with soup or stew for dipping, pasta, or sliced and assembled as a sandwich. The simple ingredients allow this bread to be versatile for serving. You might find this feta pasta or my baked ziti tasty pairing ideas.
More Easy Bread Recipes
Fluffy Focaccia Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 450g
- 1 1/3 cup warm water 314ml (lukewarm, not too hot)
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast 7 g
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 ml
- 1 ½ tsp coarse salt 9g
Topping:
- 6 tbsp olive oil 90ml, divided
- 4 oz asparagus stems 115g
- ½ medium red onion /135g
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 2g
- ½ tsp coarse salt 3g
Instructions
- Pour flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add warm water into the well. Sprinkle yeast over the water and slowly stir until a rough mass of dough forms.
- Stir in the salt and olive oil, mixing together until a sticky dough forms.
- Turn out the dough on a very lightly floured surface. This dough is very sticky, so use the stretch and fold kneading method for about 5-7 minutes. This will allow some air to get into the dough. It should eventually stick to itself instead of your hands.
- Rub oil into a medium bowl and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise until a little over doubled in size. Depending on the temperature in your house, this should take 60-90 minutes.
- Prep your toppings while the dough is rising. Slice onions into very thin half circles. Slice the asparagus on a diagonal into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces.
- Pour 2 tbsp of the olive oil to a 9”x13” pan, spreading it evenly along the bottom. Place the dough in the pan. Gently stretch the dough out with your fingers all the way to the corners.
- Cover the dough again and allow to rise for 30-60 minutes until it’s 1.5x the size. While the dough is rising, heat the oven again to 450°F.
- Spread a little oil on your hands, and push a lot of dimples into the dough. Drizzle the rest of the oil , about ¼ cup, over the top of the dough. Gently push the onions and pieces of asparagus into the top of the dough. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Bake the dough for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and very firm.
- Allow the focaccia to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. The bread needs to cool for at least another 20 minutes before cutting.
Notes
The water should be lukewarm. If it’s too warm it will kill the yeast.
We recommend thick-stemmed asparagus. If it’s too thin, it will cook too quickly and possibly burn in the oven.
