Rosemary Focaccia: A Pan-Bread Recipe

Focaccia brings a different rhythm to an oven day. Instead of stretching individual pizzas, you work with one pan of dough, giving it time to rise before making the deep dimples that hold the olive oil. A finish of coarse salt and optional rosemary keeps the flavor simple and gives the bread a place beside the rest of the meal.

Ingredients

• 1 pinch sugar
• 2 3/4 cups warm water, 100–110°F
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the bowl, baking sheet and drizzling
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• Fresh rosemary, optional

Mix and knead

Stir the sugar into 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast, stir and leave until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Mix in the remaining 2 1/2 cups water and the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the salt, then knead until smooth and elastic: the cookbook gives 4–5 minutes with a dough-hook mixer or 8–10 minutes by hand.

Let the dough rise

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until doubled, about 1–1 1/2 hours.

Spread the dough evenly over an oiled baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and allow 30 minutes of rising. Press deep dimples into the surface with your fingertips. Cover again and let the dough double, about 1 1/2–2 hours.

Finish and bake

Drizzle olive oil over the dough and into the dimples, spreading it gently without deflating the dough. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle with salt and rosemary, if using.

The source specifies 425°F and a 25–30 minute bake, or until golden. Transfer the baked bread to a wire rack and serve promptly.

Explore another kind of bread

This is the pan-style focaccia from the cookbook, not its separate small herb-loaf recipe. For a different loaf, try the existing ciabatta recipe, or explore the bread-baking guide.

If bread is part of your outdoor cooking plans, compare CBO residential ovens and confirm the pan, opening and handling space for your setup.