Focaccia Bread Loaf
, Updated Nov 22, 2025
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This Focaccia Bread Loaf is rustic, golden, and absolutely irresistible. Whether you’re baking it for a special dinner or just want fresh bread on hand, it’s an east recipe that’s perfect for beginners!
Focaccia is one of my favorite things to bake and eat! I always make one whenever we have friends over or whenever my teenage son craves it… This Focaccia Bread Loaf is exactly what it sounds like – focaccia dough baked in a loaf pan to create a sliceable bread that suitable for sandwiches and toasting. It’s fun new way to bake focaccia and so easy – perfect for beginners!
This easy focaccia bread loaf boasts the signature dimpled crust and chewy, tender crumb that makes traditional Italian focaccia so beloved. The best part? It’s easy to make at home, without fancy tools or a degree in bread baking. Flour, yeast, salt and olive oil come together to create a loaf that’s as perfect for dipping into soups as it is for making the best sandwiches of your life.
Focaccia Loaf Ingredients
- Flour – Just good ol’ all-purpose flour (plain flour) works a treat.
- Yeast: Instant yeast a.k.a rapid rise yeast is mixed with the flour and doesn’t require activation.
- Salt – An essential ingredient in almost all bread recipes, adding flavor and regulating the yeast. Maldon sea salt flakes are perfect for adding on top of the bread.
- Honey or sugar – for a little sweetness and to help the yeast (omit if preferred).
- Olive Oil – If possible, opt for a high-quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to give this loaf rich flavor and golden crust.
- Water – Lukewarm water will speed up the rise so you can have this focaccia loaf ready to bake in about two hours.
How to Make Focaccia Loaf Bread
Prepare the dough
- Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the water, honey and olive oil and stir to combine – the dough will be very shaggy. Cover the bowl and leave it for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb some of the water.
- Use oiled hands or a dough whisk to fold and stretch the dough to give it some structure. To do this, lift the edge of the dough and fold over towards the middle. Repeat, turning the bowl until you have done a series of four folds. At this point the dough should start to get smooth and elastic.
- Rest for 15 minutes and do another set of stretch-and-folds. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise for 90 minutes or until doubled.
Shape the loaf
- Add a drizzle of olive oil or water to your worktop and tip the dough on it. Spread the dough with oiled hands to form a rough rectangle shape. Do a letter fold, folding one edge over towards the middle and the other over the top. The dough will be very loose and sticky, don’t expect it to hold its shape.
- Transfer, seam side down, into a lined loaf pan greased with olive oil. Use plastic wrap to cover and leave to rise for 45 – 60 minutes, or until the dough rises and expands past the top of the pan.
Dimple and bake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) while the dough is still rising.
- Drizzle the top of the focaccia with olive oil and dimple with your fingertips, pressing deeply into the dough (my favorite part of baking focaccia bread – so satisfying!).
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and chopped rosemary and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should be 190-210°F (88-99°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Lift the bread out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Storage Tips: Store wrapped in a clean linen towel or a bread bag at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you don’t think you will eat it in that time frame, it would be best to slice the entire loaf and freeze it in an airtight bag for up to a month. That way you can just toast it straight from frozen whenever you crave a slice.
- Recipe Variations: Focaccia loaf is not suitable for loading with toppings – if you want to add cherry tomatoes, onions or other ingredients on top its best to bake a traditional focaccia. You can experiment by adding different types of herbs or using flavored olive oil to customize your loaf.
- Top Tip: For accurate measurements it is best to use digital scales. If you are using measuring cups, spoon the flour into the cup instead of scooping straight out of the bag.
- Prep Ahead: You can make this into an overnight focaccia loaf. Prep the dough up to the stretch and fold stage then transfer to an oiled container and place in the refrigerator overnight. Take the dough out of the fridge when you are ready to bake and proceed with the recipe, allowing the bread more time for the second rise.
Serving Suggestions
- Slice and serve warm with a bowl of your favorite olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic or with with dips.
- Perfect for sandwiches – it is great for open face sandwiches or toasted as bruschetta with all your fave toppings (try wiith roasted cherry tomatoes!)
- Slightly stale leftovers are ideal for croutons.
Did you make my focaccia loaf recipe? Please leave a comment and rating, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.
Focaccia Loaf Bread
Soft, golden focaccia meets gooey cheese and toppings in this irresistible Focaccia Pizza. A homemade bread base that doubles as a pizza crust — the best of both worlds!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300g) flour , all-purpose / plain flour
- 2 ⅓ tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water
- ½ tbsp honey or sugar See Note 1
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the water, honey and olive oil and stir to combine – the dough will be very shaggy. Cover the bowl and leave it for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb some of the water.2 ½ cups (300g) flour, 2 ⅓ tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water, ½ tbsp honey, 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Use oiled hands or a dough whisk to fold and stretch the dough to give it some structure. To do this, lift the edge of the dough and fold over towards the middle. Repeat, turning the bowl until you have done a series of four folds. At this point the dough should start to get smooth and elastic.
- Rest for 15 minutes and do another set of stretch-and-folds. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled.
Shape the loaf
- Add a drizzle of olive oil or water to your worktop and tip the dough on it. Spread the dough with oiled hands to form a rough rectangle shape. Do a letter fold, folding one edge over towards the middle and the other over the top. The dough will be very loose and sticky, don’t expect it to hold its shape.
- Transfer, seam side down, into a lined loaf pan greased with olive oil. Use plastic wrap to cover and leave to rise for 45 – 60 minutes, or until the dough rises and expands past the top of the pan.
Dimple and bake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) while the dough is still rising.
- Drizzle the top of the focaccia with olive oil and dimple with your fingertips, pressing deeply into the dough (my favorite part of baking focaccia bread – so satisfying!).
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and chopped rosemary and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should be 190-210°F (88-99°C) on an instant-read thermometer.1 tsp flaked sea salt, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- Lift the bread out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Note 1: If using sugar instead of honey, stir it in with the flour, salt and yeast.
- Storage Tips: Store wrapped in a clean linen towel or a bread bag at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you don’t think you will eat it in that time frame, it would be best to slice the entire loaf and freeze it in an airtight bag for up to a month. That way you can just toast it straight from frozen whenever you crave a slice.
- Recipe Variations: Focaccia loaf is not suitable for loading with toppings – if you want to add cherry tomatoes, onions or other ingredients on top its best to bake a traditional focaccia. You can experiment by adding different types of herbs or using flavored olive oil to customize your loaf.
- Top Tip: For accurate measurements it is best to use digital scales. If you are using measuring cups, spoon the flour into the cup instead of scooping straight out of the bag.
- You can let the focaccia dough rise in the refrigerator overnight if you like. Prep the dough up to the stretch and fold stage then transfer to an oiled container (with plenty of space for the dough to rise) and place in the fridge for 8- 12 hours. Take the dough out of the fridge when you are ready to bake and proceed with the recipe, allowing the bread more time for the second rise.
Nutrition
Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
