Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia

This high altitude tested rosemary parmesan focaccia bakes up soft, fluffy, and so flavorful, and is the perfect side dish for soaking up broth in a cozy bowl of soup or stew, or cut into bread sticks and dipped in marinara sauce. If you’re new to bread making, homemade focaccia is the easiest bread you’ll ever bake!

You might also love these recipes for homemade English muffins, cheese and herbs buttermilk quick bread, and rustic no knead bread.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

What is Focaccia?

Focaccia is a traditional Italian flatbread. It’s often flavored with herbs, cheese or garlic, and sometimes topped with vegetables, olives or even sausage, which can be arranged artfully on top of the bread to look like bouquets of flowers or garden scenery. Fresh from the oven, it’s warm, moist, fragrant, fluffy, and completely delicious on its own, or dipped in broth or marinara sauce.

The dough is actually quite similar to a high-hydration pizza dough, with flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil as the main ingredients, although focaccia is much softer and fluffier than pizza.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to Make. Whether or not you’re a beginner to bread making, you’ll love the simplicity of a focaccia recipe. The dough is easy to mix, with no kneading required. Then you let it rise just once, right in the pan it’s baked in.
• Versatile. Instead of rosemary and parmesan, try any combination of herbs, spices or cheese that you like.
• High Altitude Tested. High altitude bakers can bake with confidence since I test all my recipes at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. That said, this recipe will work at any altitude.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Flour. Use bread flour, which is a high protein flour, and gives bread a chewier texture. I like High Altitude Hungarian flour, which is essentially a bread flour. It’s available at many major grocery stores in Colorado and a few other mid-western states.
• Salt. Salt is flavor, and without it, bread will be bland. I use coarse Kosher salt in the dough, and then sprinkle the top of the bread with flaky Maldon salt.
• Yeast. Use instant or rapid-rise yeast, which can be added directly to the dough, and doesn’t need to be proofed first.
• Rosemary. Dried rosemary in the dough adds a lovely herbal flavor, and rosemary sprigs on top make a beautiful decoration.
• Black Pepper. Optional, but I like the hint of spice it adds.
• Parmesan Cheese. Use any cheese you like, or leave it out completely. If you omit the Parmesan, you should add a bit more salt to the dough.
• Olive Oil. The oil adds moisture to the dough, helps it slide around the pan as it rises, and gives it a crispy crust while staying soft and moist inside.
• Water.

Instructions

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, yeast, dried ground rosemary and pepper. Stir in the warm water, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the grated Parmesan, and mix for 1 minute on low speed until well combined.
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can simply mix the dough by hand, vigorously for 1 minute with a spoon or a Danish dough whisk.

• Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray, then drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan, tilting the pan so the oil coats the bottom of the pan.
• Scrape the dough into the pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, then set it in a warm place to rise until the dough fills the pan, about 60-90 minutes. If you gently shake the pan, the dough should be very jiggly.

• Drizzle the top of the dough with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, then use your fingers to very gently dimple the dough. The dough may slightly deflate when you do this, but it shouldn’t deflate excessively. Decorate the top of the focaccia with the fresh rosemary sprigs.

• Preheat the oven to 400 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the bread for 30 minutes, until a digital instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 200 F. The bread will still be a pale golden color, but if you want more browning and a crispier top crust, you can turn on your broiler for a few minutes to brown the top.
• Sprinkle the bread with the flaky finishing salt. Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes, then slice and enjoy warm.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store leftover focaccia?

Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

What’s the best way to reheat focaccia?

To reheat, place pieces of bread in your toaster oven or convection oven, and reheat at 300 F for about 10 minutes, until hot and toasty.

You Might Also Like

Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!

Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!