Amazing Rosemary, Olive, and Goat Cheese Focaccia

Delicious Focaccia Bread 3 Amazing ways! This post includes Goat Cheese Focaccia, Olive Focaccia and Rosemary Focaccia

This Amazing Focaccia is a traditional Italian bread made with flour, yeast and oil. It’s beautiful on it’s own, but can also be topped with a variety of herbs, cheeses, charcuterie, and vegetables if desired. Focaccia is the kind of bread that’s served at little trattorias as well as fancy restaurants because it’s just so good. It’s the kind of bread you can just eat on it’s own, without any oil or butter, but tastes delicious dipped in a bit of extra virgin olive oil. It can be served as an appetizer, a side to a delicious meal, or just on it’s own as a snack.

This beautiful bread is crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. It bakes quickly and tastes delicious with any of the toppings listed in this post. It’s crispy, oily, and salty with a dense soft interior. It can be eaten on it’s own, or used as sandwich bread. My favourite combination is the Goat Cheese Focaccia, while the rest of my family prefers the Rosemary Focaccia.

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 20 minutes
• Cooking Time – 15 minutes, plus 2 hours rising time
• Total Time – 2 hours 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR ROSEMARY, OLIVE and GOAT CHEESE FOCACCIA

All the ingredients for this Foccacia Bread are easy to source from any local grocer.

Focaccia

• 1 13/4 cups Warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp Yeast
• 1 tbsp White sugar
• 5 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Coarse sea salt

Topping Options

• 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 1/4 cup Goat cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 10 Olives, sliced

IS FOCACCIA THE SAME AS PIZZA?

Although they have similar ingredients, the quantity and process are what differentiate the two types of dough. Pizza dough normally does not have as much yeast, causing it to rise less. In addition, pizza dough is normally left to rise only once to develop the beautiful flavour found in a good pizza, while focaccia rises a second time in the pan. Traditional Neapolitan pizza is thin, yet flexible, and baked quickly at extremely high temperatures using open flame. In contrast, focaccia is oven baked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time after rising a second time.

CAN I LEAVE MY FOCACCIA DOUGH TO RISE OVERNIGHT?

You can leave the focaccia to rise overnight in a oiled bowl, just ensure that you properly punch it down before stretching and dimpling your dough.

WHY DO YOU DIMPLE FOCACCIA?

Pressing your fingertips in to the dough while stretching it in the pan creates the characteristic dimples found in focaccia bread. These dimples create a beautiful crust, texture, and also capture the olive oil brushed on top before the bake.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I USE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR INSTEAD OF ALL PURPOSE?

If you’d like you can use whole wheat flour, but it will change the taste of the focaccia. The rising and baking time will be identical.

CAN I USE DRIED HERBS INSTEAD OF FRESH?

You can use dried herbs if you wish, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Part of what makes this Amazing Focaccia so delicious is the use of fresh herbs. The fresh Rosemary in the Rosemary Focaccia, and the fresh Thyme in the Goat Cheese Focaccia add a beautiful flavour which would be somewhat diminished by the use of dried herbs.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF OIL?

I strongly recommend using Extra Virgin Olive Oil as specified in the recipe card. The traditional olive oil adds a lovely flavour to the bread which you cannot get from a neutral oil. Because this recipe uses so much oil, you want to add flavour, not simply grease.

EQUIPMENT FOR ROSEMARY, OLIVE and GOAT CHEESE FOCACCIA

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Focaccia:

• Kitchen Aid Mixer – You can certainly make this focaccia without a mixer, however it makes it much easier and quicker as you can start the kneading process in the bowl before you even turn out your dough. I highly recommend purchasing a good mixer if you are able to do so. I adore my Kitchen Aid Professional mixer.

• Baking Sheets – These Nordic Ware baking sheets are the best I’ve ever owned. I’ve purchased expensive baking sheets by big brand names, but these reasonably priced Nordic Ware are far superior. They are lightweight, clean easily, cook evenly, and never warp. I can’t recommend these highly enough.

• Parchment Paper – I highly recommend lining your pan with parchment paper as it makes cleanup from your delicious focaccia much easier.

COOKING DIRECTIONS FOR ROSEMARY, OLIVE and GOAT CHEESE FOCACCIA

This Amazing Focaccia is delicious and quick as long as you follow a few simple steps:

1. Make sure the water is warm when adding your yeast, otherwise it will not bloom and your dough will not rise.
2. Ensure you have the time to let your focaccia rise twice.
3. Use good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

If you want, you can prepare your dough for the first rise in advance.

This Amazing Focaccia is best used fresh, however it will still be tasty next day at room temperature. If you want to keep it longer, I would suggest using it in a sandwich and toast it.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy your Amazing Focaccia Bread!

OTHER BAKED DISHES

Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The Best Blueberry Scones

Delicious Lemon Raspberry Scone Recipe

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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Enjoy this Focaccia Bread 3 Delicious Ways. My Favourite is Goat Cheese Focaccia! What is yours? Tell us in the comments!