Rosemary Focaccia Bread

three slices of rosemary focaccia stacked

4.50 from 2 votes

Made with fresh rosemary, parmesan cheese, and delicious garlic oil, this Rosemary Focaccia Bread is a total winner! Use it for sandwiches, as a side with soups, and more.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Additional Time12

Total Time12 40

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Jamie Sherman

Equipment

Ingredients

For the dough

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
1 cup warm water 115°F
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup olive oil divided
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

For assembly

¼ cup unsalted butter very soft
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
5 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon flake sea salt
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced

Instructions

Place the yeast, water, and honey in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Let it sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes. Note if it is not frothy by this time, your yeast is dead, and you need to start over with new yeast.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cheese, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour to the bowl and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead it a few times by hand in the bowl until a smooth ball forms.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the bowl and turn to coat the dough in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to slowly rise and rest.
Brush a 9x13 baking dish with half of the butter all over.
Use a fork and prick the dough a few times, so it deflates. Add the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out and brush the remaining butter over the exposed dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise, allowing it to double in size at room temperature for about 2-4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the top of the dough, and using your fingers, dimple the dough all over so it deflates again. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and use a pastry brush to spread it around, making sure all of the dough is covered with oil. Sprinkle the parmesan and flake salt evenly over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
While the bread is baking, make the toasted garlic oil by placing the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a small skillet and adding the thinly sliced garlic. Place over medium-low heat, occasionally stirring until the garlic is lightly browned but not burned, about 10-15 minutes.
Once the bread is out of the oven, drizzle or brush with the garlic oil, let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then take it out, cut, and serve immediately.

Notes

You can also serve the garlic oil on the side as a dipping oil for the bread if you don’t want to drizzle it directly on top. Or, you can totally skip this step.
Letting the dough rise overnight in the fridge makes the end result more light and airy. If you don’t have time to wait, then you can skip the overnight step. Mix the dough as directed, and instead of placing it in the refrigerator, cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit out at room temp until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Continue with the directions as written, but instead of needing an additional 2-4 hours for the second rise, it will most likely be ready in 60-90 minutes. Then continue as the recipe is written.
This bread is best eaten warm, but you can also enjoy it at room temperature. It makes a fantastic sandwich bread when sliced horizontally in half.
If you want two smaller loaves, you can use two 9x9-inch baking pans instead of one 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Use this as a base and add your favorite flavors. Other yummy additions would be roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, etc.
To rewarm, place it in a 350° oven for 4-5 minutes until warmed through, do not microwave, as it may make the bread tough.
Store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition