Make delicious garlic focaccia bread at home in less than 4 hours. This easy garlic herb and spring onion focaccia is everything you want from this traditional Italian flatbread- it's light, crispy on the outside, and coated in a generous blend of fresh herbs, garlic, spring onions and coarse sea salt.
This post was made in partnership with Paderno, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What is Focaccia Bread?
Focaccia is a traditional Italian flatbread similar in texture to pizza dough- it's golden and crispy on the outside with a remarkably soft and light crumb. It's perfect on its own, however, it also makes for great sandwiches, paninis, or as a side for antipasto. It's no wonder this bread has been beloved by Italians for centuries.
Flavour aside, one of my favourite things about focaccia is its versatility. The base of any focaccia bread is the same as any bread- flour, water, yeast, and salt.
However, olive oil in the dough gives focaccia that super soft interior and classic golden exterior. Brushing olive oil on top also adds a beautiful sheen and flavour to this bread. Traditional focaccia are laden with fresh or dried herbs and sprinkled with coarse or flaky sea salt- both of which this recipe has.
I'm partnering with Paderno again to share the recipe for this beautiful garlic herb and spring onion focaccia. This recipe is simple to make, but add to it the efficiency of the new Paderno small appliance line, and it comes together that much faster. I love working with these appliances - they're versatile, beautiful and practical for everyday use at home.
For this recipe, the Paderno 3-Cup Food Chopper swiftly chops fresh herbs - simply add them to the container, process on speed 1 and within seconds, everything is perfectly prepared. This appliance is lightweight and easy to use; I find myself using it regularly at home to chop garlic and onions (two things I don't like doing).
Moreover, if you're not a fan of kneading dough by hand, the Paderno 10-Speed Hand Mixer fitted with the dough hooks makes mixing and kneading dough effortless- my hands aren't usually this clean when I make bread!
Any Easy Garlic Focaccia Bread Base
If you've never made focaccia before, this recipe is a perfect base for you to get creative with. Choose any seasonal herbs you wish- fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic, or thyme make wonderful combinations. I'm particularly fond of parsley, basil and garlic; together they're superbly aromatic!
This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's onion and leek focaccia however this version has been created to yield a good sized 10x15" bread. Of course, if you're having a large gathering, you can double the recipe and make two or one large bread with a 13x18" pan.
Tips for making the best Garlic Focaccia Bread
- Like most bread recipes, it's important to make sure your yeast is fresh. Active dry or instant yeasts have a usual shelf life of about 6 months once opened. If in doubt, purchase new yeast.
- Be sure to generously oil the baking pan and surface of the bread for a perfectly golden and crispy crust.
- Also, use the freshest herbs available (again, you can mix and match any herbs you like for this recipe).
- Lastly, focaccia dough can be sticky and troublesome to handle. If this happens, there are directions below to help prevent excessive sticking.
Pro Tip
Be mindful that fresh garlic added directly to the dough at the wrong time can kill off yeast. This will result in bread that doesn't rise. For that fresh garlicky flavour, either baste it on the top of your bread with some olive oil, use dried garlic, or incorporate fresh garlic into your dough after it has already risen.
Thank you to my sponsor
Sending another big thank you to Paderno for partnering with me for this post. You can view their entire small appliance line by visiting their website, or following along on social media #itsacookingthing or @padernokitchenware (Facebook, Instagram) and @padernocookware (Twitter).
If you give this recipe a go, don't forget to leave me a comment below!
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Recipe
Easy Garlic Herb & Spring Onion Focaccia
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 8 oz warm water, (100'F)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ¼ -2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Toppings
- ⅔ cup Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 3-4 spring onions, roots removed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon coarse or flaky sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In a large bowl combine the yeast, water and sugar. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes or until starting to foam.
- Add the flour, salt and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Using an electric mixer fitted with dough hooks, mix the dough on low speed until all the flour is incorporated. Continue mixing and kneading for 1 minute total. If the dough is very sticky and wet, add the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Alternatively, you can mix by hand- use a wooden spoon and stir until the dough is combined, then knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute. The surface of the dough should spring back when it's touched- this means it's ready to proof.
- With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a ball and place back into the mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Depending on the freshness of your yeast and the outside temperature, the dough may take less time to double in volume.
Shape the Dough
- Generously oil a 10x15" baking sheet. Once the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and scrape it out of the bowl onto the prepared baking sheet. If the dough is too sticky to handle, lightly dust it with flour directly in the bowl.
- Allow the dough to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to allow the gluten strands to relax (this will assist in shaping the dough). Then, using your hands, gently press the dough into a rectangular shape towards the edges of the baking pan. If the dough springs back, let it rest for another 5-10 minutes, then shape again. Cover the dough and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Prepare the Toppings
- Using a small food processor add the parsley, basil and garlic. Process on speed 1 until finely chopped (about 8 seconds). Alternatively chop the herbs by hand. Place the chopped herbs into a small bowl and stir in the olive oil. Slice each spring onion in half lengthwise. Set aside.
Top and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the dough from the fridge and remove the cover. Using two fingers, create dimples in the surface of the dough, spacing them about 1-1 ½" apart.
- Generously apply the olive oil and herb mixture with a pastry brush onto the top of the dough. Make sure the entire surface is well coated in olive oil (note you may not need all of the mixture). Arrange the spring onions on top and gently press them into the dough. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake the prepared focaccia in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Finish the bread with a light brushing of olive oil. Slice into desired sizes and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Disclaimer: all recipes on this site are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen with Canadian ingredients at normal elevation using an electric oven and stove. Results may vary.
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Heidi Richter says
Thank you for the feedback, Kathleen! Happy to hear it 🙂
Aileen says
Heidi knocks it out of the park again with this amazing recipe! I never would have imagined myself making such delicious breads! But the Simple Green's recipes make artisan breads so accessible!
Heidi Richter says
I’m so happy to hear it worked for you, Aileen 🙂 And thank you for the wonderful feedback! Always making my day, girl! Xoxo
Samantha says
Would the bread be weighed in 109 calories for the entire loaf or 109 calories in “so and so” grams/ ounces? Would love to know, it was amazing!
Heidi Richter says
Hi Samantha! Good question. The recipe makes roughly 12 servings/pieces, so it would be approximately 109cal per piece. Unfortunately, I don't have an exact weight per piece. Does this help?
Samantha says
Brilliant! Extremely helpful. Thank you!
Chels says
Really happy with this recipe. I didn't have spring onion on hand but added chives into the herb mixture. Delicious soft focaccia with a crispy top.
Heidi Richter says
I am so happy to hear it, Chels 🙂
CJ K says
Excellent recipe!
Heidi Richter says
So happy you like it, CJ!
Josephine says
Love this foccacia! I made it into two smaller individual loaves and reduced the baking time a smidge for a softer crust. So good!
Heidi Richter says
So glad to hear it!
Kanaka says
Love this foccaccia reecipe it turned out really well! Thank you!
Heidi Richter says
I'm so glad to hear it, Kanaka!
Eva says
Gorgeous images, Heidi! I can't wait to share this recipe with my family. It turned out so well and im so happy to have found your blog via pinterest.
Heidi Richter says
I'm so happy to hear it, Eva!
Harjeet says
Lovely foccacia! Thank you for this easy recipe.
Heidi Richter says
So glad you like it 🙂
Dee says
Love how this turned out. Thank you =)
Heidi Richter says
So happy to hear it, Dee!
Arna says
For toppings, today I used roasted grape tomatoes, caramelized red onion and red/yellow/orange pepper strips I caramelized with the onion, basil and rosemary in the olive oil with garlic. Smells divine! So easy and delicious. I have made it several times before with different toppings. Thank you!
Heidi Richter says
Hi Arna! I'm so happy to hear it, thank you for making my recipe!
Charlotte says
Hi Heidi,
This is a delicious and super easy recipe. I've adapted it in many ways to create variations including a sesame seed topping. It's wonderful! Thank you 🙂
Heidi Richter says
Thank you for sharing that, Charlotte! I'm really happy to hear it!
Jamilah Pedigo says
I made this and it was great! I don’t know why it won’t let me upload a picture but it was pretty too!
Heidi Richter says
Thank you so much for the great feedback. I wish there was an photo sharing function here, although you can share with me via instagram @the_simple_green I'd love to see it 🙂
Nancy Stone says
My Son has asked me repeatedly to bake more of this. The dough goes together simply and rises just beautifully.
It's absolutely delicious and the toppings make it extra special.
Thank you!
Nancy - Oregon
Heidi Richter says
Hi Nancy! I am so pleased to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to share that with me 🙂 Have a wonderful day!