Rosemary Focaccia

Where This Goes Wrong

Do not skimp on the oil in the tin. It is what fries the base into that signature crust.

Press the dimples all the way to the bottom of the tin — timid dimples close up and the bread bakes flat and dense.

A tablespoon of the oil warmed with garlic and brushed on after baking takes it to another level.

How to Make Rosemary Focaccia

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1. Whisk the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Stir the honey or sugar into the water, pour it in, and mix with a spatula until no dry flour remains. The dough will be wet and shaggy — this is correct.

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2. Cover and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes, then perform four sets of stretch-and-folds 30 minutes apart: wet your hand, lift one side of the dough up and fold it over, rotating the bowl each time.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

3. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. The dough will roughly double and fill with bubbles.

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4. Pour 40 ml of the olive oil into a 30 x 20 cm tin and spread it up the sides. Tip the dough in without deflating it and turn once to coat.

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5. Let it come to room temperature and relax for 2 to 3 hours, until puffy and jiggly and nearly filling the tin.

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6. Heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F. Oil your fingers with the remaining oil and press straight down through the dough to the base, making deep dimples all over.

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7. Scatter with rosemary and flaky salt. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden and the base sounds hollow.

   Mark done Start 22 min timer

8. Lift out of the tin onto a rack immediately so the base stays crisp. Serve warm.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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What's Going On Here

At 80% hydration the dough is too slack to knead, so time replaces mechanical work: over a long cold ferment, gluten strands align on their own and yeast produces the organic acids that give focaccia its flavour. The generous oil in the tin effectively shallow-fries the base, creating a crust no dry tin can match.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Best on the day it is baked. Keeps 2 days in a paper bag; refresh in a 200°C / 400°F oven for 5 minutes. Freezes well sliced for 2 months.

Good With

• Serve with a plate of prosciutto and a glass of Vermentino
• Split it for sandwiches with mortadella and stracciatella
• Excellent alongside minestrone

Common Questions About Rosemary Focaccia

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

Vegan when made with sugar rather than honey.

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