Homemade Small Batch Focaccia Recipe

I’m excited to share my Small Batch Focaccia Bread recipe that comes together in two hours with olive oil and fresh herbs and is ideal for dipping or turning into sandwiches.

I can’t resist a pan of focaccia that looks simple but acts fancy, the top glossy with extra virgin olive oil and little bursts of fresh rosemary that make you blink twice. I wrote this as an Easy Small Batch Bread idea because sometimes you want great bread without pretending you have hours to spare.

The crumb still surprises me every time, chewy in spots, crisp in others, like it knows a secret I don’t. You’ll want to poke it, press it, taste it warm even though you know you should let it cool, and that’s fine, because hey, I do it too.

Ingredients

Homemade Small Batch Focaccia

• All purpose flour gives structure and chew, mostly carbs with small protein, little fiber absorbs water.
• Extra virgin olive oil adds richness, healthy fats, makes crust crisp and flavor more rounded and heart healthy.
• Instant yeast tiny living fungi that lift dough, adds slight tang and fermentation flavor.
• Fine sea salt enhances flavors, balances sweetness, small amounts are fine for most diets.
• Fresh rosemary piney herb it’s fragrant, adds bright savory notes and antioxidants.
• Garlic optional gives punch, savory depth, may boost immune health slightly.
• Cherry tomatoes optional bursting sweet acidity, add juiciness and color, give vitamins.
• Semolina or cornmeal prevents sticking, adds subtle crunch and rustic texture under crust.
• Sugar or honey feeds yeast, adds mild sweetness, helps browning, small amount only.

Ingredient Quantities

• All purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups (300 g)
• Warm water (about 100 to 110°F), 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (210 ml)
• Instant yeast, 1 tsp (3 g)
• Granulated sugar or honey, 1 tsp (about 5 g)
• Fine sea salt, 1 tsp (about 6 g)
• Extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp (45 ml) for the dough, plus extra for the pan and drizzling
• Fresh rosemary, 1 tbsp chopped or a few small sprigs
• Flaky sea salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling, about 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Garlic, 1 small clove thinly sliced or minced (optional)
• Cherry tomatoes, a handful halved, or olives, a small handful (optional)
• Semolina or cornmeal for dusting the pan, 1 to 2 tsp (optional)

How to Make this

1. Warm the water to about 100 to 110°F (test with your wrist or a thermometer), stir in the 1 tsp sugar or honey and the 1 tsp instant yeast, let sit 3 to 5 minutes until it looks a bit foamy — if nothing happens the yeast might be dead so try fresh yeast.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour and 1 tsp fine sea salt; make a well in the center and pour in the foamy yeast mixture plus 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy sticky dough forms.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface or keep in the bowl and oil your hands, then knead gently for 3 to 5 minutes until it smooths slightly — the dough should still be tacky; resist adding extra flour, oil your hands instead if it sticks.

4. Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm draft free spot until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes; a warm oven with just the oven light on works well for proofing.

5. While the dough rises, oil a small baking pan or a 9×5 to 9×7 inch pan (or a small cast iron) and dust with 1 to 2 tsp semolina or cornmeal if using; preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) about 20 minutes before baking.

6. Gently deflate the risen dough and transfer to the prepared pan, using oiled fingers to stretch and press it to the edges — if it resists, let it rest 5 minutes and try again; create deep dimples all over the surface with your fingertips so the oil pools in them.

7. Drizzle a generous 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil over the top, scatter chopped fresh rosemary and the thinly sliced or minced garlic (if using), press halved cherry tomatoes or olives lightly into the dimples if you like, then sprinkle about 1/2 to 1 tsp flaky or coarse sea salt on top.

8. Let the shaped focaccia rest for a short second rise, 20 to 30 minutes, while the oven finishes heating; this gives a lighter crumb.

9. Bake on the middle rack at 450°F (230°C) for 12 to 18 minutes until the top is deep golden and the holes are crisp; remove, immediately drizzle a little more olive oil, add a final pinch of flaky sea salt, cool 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a rack and slice warm.

Equipment Needed

1. Instant read thermometer (or just your wrist to test the water temp)
2. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale if you like grams)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
5. Clean bowl for proofing plus plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel
6. 9×5 or 9×7 baking pan, or a small cast iron skillet, plus a little semolina or cornmeal for dusting
7. Knife and cutting board for rosemary, garlic and tomatoes
8. Oven mitts and a cooling rack for resting and slicing

FAQ

Homemade Small Batch Focaccia Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour — Bread flour (same weight, gives a chewier, more open crumb); Whole wheat (swap up to 25–50%, add 1–2 tbsp extra water and expect a denser loaf); 1:1 gluten free all purpose blend (use same weight, may need 1/2 tsp xanthan gum if blend doesn’t include it, and tap down hydration a touch).
• Instant yeast — Active dry yeast (use about 1 1/4 tsp active for 1 tsp instant and dissolve it in the warm water first); Fresh baker’s yeast (roughly 3x the weight of instant yeast, so about 9 g for 1 tsp instant); Sourdough starter (use a fed starter around 20–30% of the flour weight, longer proofing and reduce other water as needed).
• Extra virgin olive oil — Light olive oil or neutral vegetable oil (same amount, less olive flavor); Avocado oil (higher smoke point, mild taste); Melted butter (same amount, richer flavor but might brown the crust quicker).
• Fresh rosemary — Thyme or oregano (same amount, similar herbal note); Dried rosemary (use about 1/3 the fresh amount); Chopped garlic or thinly sliced shallots for a different savory hit if you skip herbs.

Pro Tips

1) Use cold fermentation for better flavor: after the first short rise, pop the dough in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. It might be sticky and slow, but the extra time makes the crumb tastier and chewier, just bring it back to room temp before shaping.

2) Oil your hands and the pan, dont add flour when stretching — that kills the airy texture. If the dough keeps snapping back, let it rest 5 to 10 minutes then try again, and press deep dimples so the oil pools there for crisp pockets.

3) Protect fresh garlic from burning by mincing it and mixing it into the oil you drizzle on top, or use whole roasted garlic cloves instead. Same with tomatoes, press them into the dough so they dont char on the surface.

4) Finish with flaky salt and extra olive oil right out of the oven, not before. If the top starts going too brown, move the pan off the center rack for a minute or lower the temp a bit and give it a few more minutes so the interior cooks without burning the surface.