By Becky Hardin
Updated Aug 29, 2025
This focaccia recipe really is the best! With minimal prep, it’s easier to make than you think and it’s perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or even for stacking into delicious sandwiches and paninis.
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5-Star Review
“This is such a great recipe. We love homemade focaccia with soup all winter long!” -Erin
Focaccia is one of my favorite breads to bake at home. It’s really straightforward to prepare and packed full of flavor. And I have to admit, there’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house.
Focaccia is a traditional Italian bread that is similar in texture to pizza dough. It’s made with bread flour, which is high in gluten, so the bread rises well and bakes up with a chewy texture. I like to brush it with a generous amount of olive oil and top it with whatever ingredients I have on hand. That’s why I love it so much, because it is endlessly customizable. So, go ahead and experiment to find your favorite toppings!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 4 tbsp olive oil 50g, best you can afford
- ▢ 1½ cups hot water 340g (12 oz.)
- ▢ 1¼ oz. olive oil 35g for the dough
- ▢ 1 tbsp kosher salt 9g
- ▢ 3½ cups bread flour 418g (14.75 oz.)
- ▢ 1 tbsp instant yeast 9g
- ▢ 1½ tsp Herbs de Provence 5g, divided
- ▢ 4 tbsp unsalted butter 57g, melted and divided (½ stick)
- ▢ flake sea salt optional, for sprinkling on top
Video
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Pour 4 tbsp really good extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of the pan. 4 tbsp olive oil
- Combine hot water, 1¼ oz. olive oil, kosher salt, bread flour, instant yeast, and ½ tsp Herbs de Provence in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at low speed until most of the flour has incorporated, then turn the speed to medium-high. Beat for 1 minute. 1½ cups hot water, 1¼ oz. olive oil, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 3½ cups bread flour, 1 tbsp instant yeast, 1½ tsp Herbs de Provence
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Rub your fingers with olive oil and use them to push the dough to the edges of the pan and to make indentations in the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, place it in a warm, draft-free spot, and let it rise to double its height for 1 hour. The dough should be puffy but stable.
- While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 400°F.
- After the dough has risen, brush the dough with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle the top, lightly and evenly, with flaked sea salt and the remaining 1 tsp Herbs de Provence. Once again, use your fingers to make indentations across the dough and from the surface of the dough to the bottom. 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Brush the top with the remaining 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter and very lightly sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt. flake sea salt
- Rotate the pan front to back and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown on the bottom and the top.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the bread out of the pan onto the wire rack to finish cooling.
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Becky’s Tips
- If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can mix the dough by hand .
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Focaccia Step by Step
Prepare the pan: Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Pour 4 tbsp of really good extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of the pan and swirl to ensure the whole pan is coated. The spray will help keep the bread from sticking, and the olive oil will give the bottom crust and sides a great crunch and flavor.
Make the dough : Add 1½ cups hot water, 1¼ ounces olive oil, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 3½ cups bread flour, 1 tbsp instant yeast, and ½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix to combine. Beat at a low speed until most of the flour has incorporated, then turn the speed to medium-high for 1 minute so that it is completely incorporated .
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Coat your fingers with olive oil and gently push the dough to the edges of the pan to create indentations. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, place it in a warm, draft-free spot, and let it rise to double its height for 1 hour so that the dough is puffy but stable.
Get the oven going : W hile the dough is rising, heat the oven to 400°F.
After the dough has risen, brush it with the 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle the top, lightly and evenly, with flaked sea salt and whatever is left of the Herbs de Provence. Once again, use your fingers to make indentations across the dough and from the top to the bottom. Finally, b ake the dough for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter and very lightly sprinkle it with flaked sea salt.
Rotate the pan front to back so it bakes evenly, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown on the bottom and the top.
Cool the bread : Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, and then turn the bread out of the pan onto the wire rack to finish cooling.
Serve: Cut into pieces, serve as you wish, and enjoy.
Flavor Options
Focaccia will take on the flavor of the olive oil, so use a very good, deeply flavored olive oil. Though I’ve used salt and herbs de Provence, you can use a variety of toppings for this recipe:
- Cheese
- Onions
- Cranberries
- Rosemary
- Sun-dried tomatoes
How to Store
This bread is best served within a few hours of coming out of the oven, the sooner the better! It will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for two days. Feel free to reheat it in the oven to serve. You can also freeze this focaccia recipe for up to a month. Thaw on the kitchen counter until ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This focaccia recipe is so flavorful and delicious, it’s perfect as part of a bread basket appetizer served with good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. It’s also a great sandwich bread, simply cut a piece in half and fill with cheese, meat, and salad—you can grill it too if you wish.
I love pairing this bread with hearty Italian soups like this hearty sweet Italian sausage tortellini soup or this veggie-loaded best minestrone soup recipe (with pancetta) . The bread also goes well with pasta, so I’ll often prepare it when I’m making baked pasta primavera with cream cheese Alfredo or Italian stuffed shells .
more homemade bread recipes
No Knead Sandwich Bread
Spinach Artichoke Dip Pull Apart Bread Recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits
Garlic Pull Apart Rolls
Focaccia Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 9x13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil 50g, best you can afford
- 1½ cups hot water 340g (12 oz.)
- 1¼ oz. olive oil 35g for the dough
- 1 tbsp kosher salt 9g
- 3½ cups bread flour 418g (14.75 oz.)
- 1 tbsp instant yeast 9g
- 1½ tsp Herbs de Provence 5g, divided
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 57g, melted and divided (½ stick)
- flake sea salt optional, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Pour 4 tbsp really good extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of the pan. 4 tbsp olive oil
- Combine hot water, 1¼ oz. olive oil, kosher salt, bread flour, instant yeast, and ½ tsp Herbs de Provence in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at low speed until most of the flour has incorporated, then turn the speed to medium-high. Beat for 1 minute. 1½ cups hot water, 1¼ oz. olive oil, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 3½ cups bread flour, 1 tbsp instant yeast, 1½ tsp Herbs de Provence
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Rub your fingers with olive oil and use them to push the dough to the edges of the pan and to make indentations in the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, place it in a warm, draft-free spot, and let it rise to double its height for 1 hour. The dough should be puffy but stable.
- While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 400°F.
- After the dough has risen, brush the dough with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle the top, lightly and evenly, with flaked sea salt and the remaining 1 tsp Herbs de Provence. Once again, use your fingers to make indentations across the dough and from the surface of the dough to the bottom. 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Brush the top with the remaining 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter and very lightly sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt. flake sea salt
- Rotate the pan front to back and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown on the bottom and the top.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the bread out of the pan onto the wire rack to finish cooling.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can mix the dough by hand .
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
