Parmesan Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Published 11/27/2021 • Updated 6/21/2022
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Looking for an easy cheesy focaccia bread recipe? Make this parmesan rosemary focaccia for a perfect bread to serve with any dinner.
Lets Make an Easy Focaccia Recipe!
Is there really anything better than a warm piece of focaccia bread next to pasta or on the outside of your favorite deli meat sandwich?
Homemade focaccia bread is so much easier to make than one might think and today we’re sharing a simple tutorial for parmesan rosemary focaccia bread!
It sure does look fancy, but we promise that even the novice chef can whip this one up.
What is Focaccia Bread?
Focaccia bread is an Italian bread baked in the oven. It’s eaten in a variety of ways such as in a bread basket, as sandwich bread, and as a side.
Focaccia is made from simple ingredients such as flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and a hint of sugar.
Focaccia Pronunciation
Trying to figure out how to say focaccia? Here’s how to pronounce it in American English: fuh-kaa-chuh
Ingredients for Focaccia Bread
- Warm water: we want water that is just barely warm in this recipe– like bath water! If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
- Sugar: granulated sugar helps feed the yeast to ensure our bread rises well. You can also use honey or brown sugar if you prefer.
- Yeast: active dry yeast helps the bread rise! If you’re using instant yeast, there’s no need to activate it.
- Olive oil: Olive oil adds richness to the dough and helps it crisp and brown in the oven
- Flour: Flour is the base of our focaccia! All purpose flour works great in this recipe, but bread flour is even better. If you have it on hand, I highly recommend it.
- Parmesan: We’re using parmesan cheese because it’s rich and nutty and holds up well in the oven.
- Fresh rosemary: I love rosemary in my focaccia bread but fresh thyme or parsley is also delicious.
- Garlic: garlic is a classic addition in focaccia. Roasted or black garlic are especially delicious if you have them.
Other types of cheese to try!
Don’t have parmesan cheese? Feel free to use a different shredded cheese such as cheddar, fontina, Monterey, gouda, etc.
How to Make Focaccia Bread Recipe
Activate Yeast
Whisk together the water, sugar, and yeast until dissolved. Then, let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast has bloomed.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a different bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, rosemary, and garlic.
Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients
Whisk in 1/4 cup of olive oil to the yeast mixture and then add the dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead Dough
Move the dough onto a clean surface, and knead it for around 5 minutes, or until it’s smooth and elastic.
Let Rise
Oil a bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover it and place it into a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
Transfer to Pan & Let Rise Again
Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil on a quarter sheet pan and then toss the dough in the oil so it’s fully covered.
Then, use your fingers to spread the dough out so it covers the whole pan.
Cover the pan again and place it in a warm place to rise one more time for around 1 hour, or until the dough has risen to the top of the sheet pan.
Dimple Dough
Use your fingers to create dimples or “wells” all over the dough. Then, sprinkle on the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Bake Dough
Bake the focaccia bread at 425ºF for around 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let Sit
Let the focaccia rest for 5 minutes after baking.
Season & Serve
Sprinkle on fresh rosemary, grated parmesan cheese, and flake sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
A Few Quick Tips
The water temp matters
When activating the yeast, the water temperature matters. Make sure that the water is just barely warm – like bathwater! If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
Don’t Skip the Olive Oil
Olive oil is what is going to crisp this bread up and make it nice and golden brown. It also makes it super tender and delicious.
Use freshly shaved or grated parmesan
When in doubt, use freshly grated parmesan cheese instead of store-bought. When mixing cheese into batters or bread, freshly grated always melts/mixes best. Plus, it tastes better too!
Storage
Store any leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
Parmesan Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water, 100ºF - 110ºF
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- For serving: flakey sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the water, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast has bloomed.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, ½ cup parmesan cheese, rosemary, garlic, and salt.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, whisk in ¼ cup of olive oil. Then, add the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic-- about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and place it in a warm place to rise for two hours, or until it has doubled in size. Make sure to save the remaining olive oil and parmesan for later!
- Once the dough has risen, add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to a quarter sheet pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and toss it to fully coat the dough with oil.
- Spread the dough until it fully fills the pan. Cover the pan and set it in a warm spot to rise again until it reaches the top of the pan-- about 1 hour.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 425F.
- Use your fingers to dimple the dough and create wells all over the focaccia. Then, sprinkle over the remaining parmesan.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flake salt.
Tips & Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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so delicious!
So glad you enjoyed this, Randy!
TOO LEGIT TO QUIT! And by that I mean that I can’t quit eating it. Crispy edges without being tough, tender inside, salty Parmesan and juuuuust enough garlic to know it’s there. Will definitely make again!
Yay! We’re so glad you loved this focaccia as much as we do 🙂