This scrumptious and savory flatbread with a porous and tender crumb is infused and slathered with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and topped with Fresh Rosemary, Coarse Sea Salt, and the best imported Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese you can find. Focaccia al Rosmarino is delicious alone as a snack or appetizer with a glass of wine or served as an accompaniment to a full meal.
Focaccia (pronounced “fuh-KA-cha”) is a type of Italian yeast bread baked as a flat sheet or in a disk. The name comes from the Latin ‘focacia‘ meaning hearth or fireside. The Focaccia dough is deeply flavored with extra virgin olive oil and topped with more extra virgin olive oil coarse sea salt, cheese, herbs and sometimes other vegetables. Common focaccia bread toppings include olives, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, or tomatoes. After the dough proofs, the baker brushes a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and then uses their fingertips to dimple the entire surface of the focaccia dough. The focaccia dough is then topped lightly with coarse salt, cheese, and herbs, frequently rosemary is used.
The Focaccia Toppings – Use the Best!
You can’t make great tasting food from ingredients that are not of the best quality. This is a perfect opportunity to visit your local specialty food store or Italian Market to check out the Coarse Sea Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oils and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses they have to offer. Ask for a taste and suggestions from the staff at the deli counter or owners. Here in the Detroit Metro Area, we are lucky to have wonderful imported food emporiums like Zingerman’s Deli, Zingerman’s Creamery, and Cantoro’s Italian Market.
What is a “Poolish?” aka (Biga or Preferment)
Italian bakers use a stiff preferment known as a biga in Italy. This recipe uses a poolish which uses an equal weight of flour and water making the hydration at 100%. This process of fermenting flour, water and a very small amount of yeast for an 8 to 10 hour period before incorporating it into the final dough develops the natural sweetness of the flour without the use of any refined sugar or sweetener in the final bread. The poolish also develops the final texture of the crumb and helps to preserve the bread by making it less perishable. To make the poolish is short work for the baker. Combine the water, flour, and yeast beat to combine, cover and let ferment for 8 to 10 hours. You, the baker will be rewarded with amazing flavor and texture in your bread for just a few minutes of your time the night or morning before you plan to bake this bread.
As with all baking recipe I recommend you weigh the ingredients for the Focaccia al Rosmarino. Weighing ensures you have a consistent dough each and every time. As bakers, we are always striving to remove any variables from the process of baking.
The full instructional video for Focaccia al Rosmarino is at the bottom of this blog post. Follow this link to “LIKE” and “SUBSCRIBE” to my YouTube Channel “Just One Bite, Please?”
Equipment: (Shop my Amazon Page for Ingredients & Equipment)
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups & Spoons/Electronic Baking Scale
- Rubber Spatula
- Plastic Bowl Scrape
- Non-Stick Spray or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Plastic Wrap
Focaccia
Poolish (Preferment) – Mix 8 to 10 hours before mixing the final dough
- Measured Grams Ingredients
- 1 cup 227 g. Water (room temperature)
- 1-1/2 cup 227 g. All-Purpose Flour (unbleached, unbromated)
- 1/4 tsp. 1/4 tsp. Instant Yeast
Mixing the Poolish (Preferment)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the water, instant yeast, and all-purpose flour
- Mix the ingredients with a rubber spatula to combine and then beat well.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and clean off the spatula.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (cling film) and let ferment at room temperature 68º-74ºF (20º-23ºC) for 8 to 10 hours.
Final Dough
- Measured Grams Ingredients
- 2-½ cup 454 g. Poolish (from above)
- ½ cup 113 g. Water (room temperature)
- ½ tsp. 2 g. Instant Yeast
- 1/3 cup 70 g. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2-½ cups 340 g. All Purpose Flour (unbleached, unbromated)
- 1-½ tsp. 14 g. Sea Salt (fine)
Mixing the dough:
- Combine the water with the fermented poolish and scrape the bowl to loosen the poolish.
- Pour the poolish into a large mixing bowl and add the olive oil, instant yeast, and half of the all-purpose flour.
- Mix using a rubber spatula to incorporate the ingredients and then beat until a smooth batter forms.
- Add the remaining all-purpose flour and sea salt and fold to combine.
- Mix until the dough becomes a shaggy mass.
- Scrape down the bowl and scrape off the rubber spatula with a plastic scrape and turn the dough onto the work surface.
- Knead the dough together for 2 to 3 minutes to incorporate the ingredients. The dough will be sticky. “Do not add any flour to the work surface.”
- Continue to knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes or until the dough is strong and elastic.
- Round the dough into a ball.
- Spray a bowl with non-stick spray or oil and place the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Ferment the dough for 1 hour at room temperature 68ºF-74ºF (20ºC-23ºC)
- After 1 hour, uncover the dough.
- Lightly oil the work surface with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and turn the dough onto the oiled work surface.
- Degas the dough and stretch and fold the dough.
- Place the folded dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Ferment the dough 1 hour at room temperature 68ºF-74ºF (20ºC-23ºC)
Pre-heat the oven and Baking Stone to 475ºF (246ºC) 1 hour before baking the focaccia
Equipment:
- Baking Stone 14″ x 16″ (Old Stone Oven Baking Stone)
- Cornmeal – 1/4 cup
- ½-Sheet of Parchment Paper
- Large Wooden Cutting Board or ½-Sheet Pan
- Cooling Rack
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 cup
- Pastry Brush
- Baker’s Peel/Pizza Peel
- Parmesan-Reggiano (coarsely grated) – 2 oz.
- Coarse Sea Salt – 2 tsp.
- Fresh Rosemary (coarsely chopped) 2 Tbsp.
Pre-shaping, Final Shaping, and Baking the Focaccia:
- Place a 1/2-sheet of parchment paper on the cutting board.
- Sprinkle the parchment paper with cornmeal and then set aside until needed.
- After the dough has fermented 1 hour. Lightly oil the work surface with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Uncover the dough and turn it onto the oiled work surface.
- Degas the and press the dough into a 10” x 16” (25 cm x 40 cm) rectangle.
- Fold the short sides into the center of the dough.
- Fold and pinch the seams together to seal the dough.
- Turn the dough over and lightly press into an 8” x 12” (20 cm x 30 cm) rectangle.
- Place the dough onto the cornmeal coated parchment paper.
- Stretch and press to reform the dough into the 8” x 12” (20 cm x 30 cm) rectangle if necessary.
- Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap.
- Proof the focaccia for 1 hour at room temperature 68ºF-74ºF (20ºC-23ºC) or until the dough holds an indentation from your fingertip.
- After 1 hour, uncover the focaccia and brush the top with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Use your fingertips, press and dimple the surface of the focaccia to expand the focaccia into a 10” x 14” (25 cm x 35 cm) rectangle.
- Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with the coarse sea salt and the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Use the bakers’ peel and slide the focaccia onto the preheated baking stone.
- Bake the focaccia at 475ºF (246ºC) for 20 to 24 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Turn the focaccia during baking if necessary to get even browning.
- Remove the focaccia from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack.
- Immediately brush the baked focaccia with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle the top with the chopped rosemary.
- Cool the focaccia for 20 minutes before cutting and eating.
- Enjoy!
Note: The Focaccia is best eaten within 3 days from the baking date. Store the Focaccia wrapped in plastic at room temperature or freeze. Thaw to room temperature and reheat in the oven to enjoy.
Nandy
Can I half the recipe..? N can I use 00 instead of all purpose flour.. I don’t have un bleach flour…
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Nandy, It is nice to meet you. I appreciate you waiting for my response. Yes, you can use 00 Flour with wonderful results. I’d love to hear about your baking adventure. Thank you for writing and Happy Baking!
Eric
Hi, complete novice home-baker. I followed essentially step by step, and beginning to end everything looked, felt, and smelled exactly right and just like the video. End product was amazing, look taste and texture…but for some reason when first cutting in, it’s like I got an altogether different bread type. None of the bubbles or airiness. Internal texture was still amazing with great soft buoyant chew, but not the focaccia texture as pictured. Not experienced enough to understand what may have happened.
Only things that was different (that I could tell) is our oven runs very hot, so I did 470 and even then took it out around 17 minutes because it had reached that just-right doneness. Also no stone, used upside down metal pan preheated. (Also I used semolina instead of cornmeal, and didn’t use Parmesan). I’ll likely make it again at some point, so any guesses what I may have inadvertently messed up? Again, all the proofing and shaping steps etc had no obvious mess ups and looked picture perfect all throughout.
Thanks!
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Eric,
It is nice to meet you. I appreciate you taking the time to write to ask your questions about fermentation, proofing, and baking the focaccia.
There are 3 factors that affect the final crumb structure in the focaccia.
1. Ambient Temperature & Humidity – The one factor that differs in each of our homes is the room temperature and humidity. This is a variable that all home bakers contend with throughout the year. I give timing for the fermentation and proofing of the focaccia based on the ambient temperature of 68º-74ºF (20º-23ºC). This variable temperature difference makes on how long the dough needs to proof. In the winter month here in Michigan it is colder and drier in my home and I need to ferment/proof the dough longer. I know through experience what I’m looking for before I continue with the recipe/process. You referenced the visual look being similar to the video which is a good place to start. The dough needs to fully ferment to develop strength and structure throughout the process.
2. Final Proofing – The dough should show signs of lots of big bubbles and volume with strength in the dough structure to push up and hold its shape when baked. I would recommend dimpling the dough and then letting it ferment 30 more minutes before baking it. During this last proofing, the dough should continue to grow and develop more fermentation bubbles over the surface.
3. Preheated Oven and Baking Stone/Steel – Having the oven and baking stone/steel preheated for at least 1 hour before baking will produce the bests “Oven Spring” for the focaccia. The preheated stone/steel provides direct heat to the bottom of the focaccia causing it to “jump” before the crust is set by the heat of the oven. It is also important to bake the focaccia in a conventional oven “no fan.” Using the fan “Convection Setting” will set the crust to quickly and keep the focaccia from obtaining the best volume which in turn affects the internal crumb structure of the focaccia.
I’d love to hear more about your baking adventures with this or my other recipes. Please me know if you need any other assistance.
Thank you for writing and have a great day!
Janet
Very interesting “There are 3 factors that affect the final crumb structure in the focaccia.”
Beth
I’m using this recipe in a 9×13 pan next time it comes out prettier
Lori
My poolish is not as sticky as yours in the video. Mine is dryer. What did I do wrong?
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Lori, It is nice to meet you. I appreciate you waiting for my response as I have been away traveling. I’m not sure why that would be as the poolish has 100% hydration. Equal weight of Water to All-Purpose Flour. Using Bread Flour would make for a stiffer poolish because of the higher protein content in this type of flour. I’d love to hear more about your baking adventure and your final results. Thank you for taking the time to write and ask your question.
Don Black
I’m curious as to some of your weights and measurements example 1 cup of water weight 227 grams. 1 1/2 cups of flour 227 grams. Where I went to school a cup was 237ml which according to most physics books weighs 237 grams part of the wonders of the metric system 1 ml of water weighs 1 gram. Flour in most cooking text books weighs 120 grams per cup and that would make the poolish 1 1/2cups 180 grams. Can you please explain the differences
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Don, It is nice to meet you. You bring up a good point about measured ingredients vs weighed ingredients. In baking, it is important to be consistent and weigh all the ingredients for baking each and every time. This removes the variable of the inconstancy of volume measurements. I’d love to hear about your baking adventure. Thank you for writing and have a great day!
Shankar Kalyana
Hi – I am a @home beginner that is experimenting and learning, this recipe looked delicious and amazing so am in the process of making it. Except I don’t have a baking stone….can I use a regular 9×13 pan instead, and do the final stretch and dimpling right there? and in that case, is it ok if the pan is not pre-heated? (for now, that is what I am going to do, but would appreciate yours and others’ inputs)
ps: how did I go all these decades without baking bread!!!!!
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Shankar, It is my pleasure to meet you. I appreciate you waiting for my response as I have been away traveling. Yes, you can use a pan to bake the focaccia in. I would recommend a metal pan for the best results. The pan doesn’t need to be preheated but the oven should be prior to baking the focaccia for the best results. I’d love to hear more about your baking adventures. Please let me know if you should have any other questions. Thank you for taking the time to write and have a wonderful day!
Jesse Baker
I absolutely love this recipe. Followed it to the tee and turned out better than perfect. Total crowd pleaser.
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Jesse, It is my pleasure to meet you. I appreciate you waiting for my response as I have been traveling. Congratulations on your baking success! It is so wonderful to hear about your results and baking adventure. Thank you for taking the time to write and share. Have a great day!