Classic focaccia recipe: Delicious recipe ideas and preparation tips for the popular Italian flatbread!

Crispy pizza, aromatic pasta and lasagne or a heavenly tiramisu – Italian cuisine has a lot to offer and always provides a real culinary delight. We would like to take a culinary trip to Italy again and introduce you to another popular classic – the best focaccia recipe! Beautifully fluffy, wonderfully crunchy, full of flavors and super versatile - the Italian flatbread is irresistibly delicious and tastes really good both as a starter and as a single meal. The delicious bread is now very popular in this country and is also quick and easy to prepare. Whether classic with tomatoes, with or without yeast, filled or even sweet focaccia with strawberries for dessert - add some variety to the table and try our focaccia recipes today!

Focaccia recipe original Italian style

The word focaccia comes from the Latin expression “panis focacius,” which literally means “baked flatbread under the ashes of a fire.” The fluffy flatbread dates back to ancient Rome and was invented in the province of Liguria. Depending on the region, there are now hundreds of variations with their own regional ingredients. Whether with onions, anchovies, olives or tomatoes – the list is really endless. First, of course, we'll show you the classic focaccia recipe, especially in combination with onecreamy eggplant diptastes wonderful. The flatbread consists of a yeast dough that we also know from other pastries. But so that the bread is crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside, significantly more olive oil is used. It's that easy to make the classic recipe for Focaccia Genovese.

Ingredients:

  • 480 grams of strong bread flour
  • 360 ml lukewarm water
  • 1/2 cube fresh yeast or alternatively 1 teaspoon dry yeast
  • 70 ml olive oil
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

preparation

  • Mix bread flour and sea salt in a bowl and crumble the yeast over it.
  • Add water and half of the olive oil and knead into a smooth dough using the dough hook of the hand mixer for 5 minutes.
  • Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place for about 30-40 minutes until the dough has doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Knead the dough with your hands on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 2-3 cm thick flat cake.
  • Place the dough on the baking tray and let it rise, covered, for another 20 minutes.
  • Now carefully press small indentations into the focaccia with your fingers and then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
  • Top with a little more sea salt and rosemary leaves and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes, cut and enjoy - and the classic Italian focaccia recipe is that easy!
  • If you don't have fresh yeast on hand, you can make the focaccia recipe with dry yeast.

Quick recipe for focaccia without yeast

Ready in 30 minutes and just as crispy and delicious - this focaccia recipe without yeast is perfect when things have to be done quickly.

Ingredients:

  • 280 grams of strong bread flour
  • 45 ml olive oil
  • 120ml water
  • 120 ml whole milk
  • 1 THE Backpulver
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or chives
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and generously grease a baking tray with olive oil.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices and sea salt in a large bowl.
  • Add water, milk and half the olive oil and mix well.
  • Knead the dough well with your hands on a floured work surface. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
  • Place the dough on the baking tray and press small indentations into it with your fingers.
  • Drizzle the remaining olive oil over it and top with some fresh herbs if desired.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and your recipe for focaccia without yeast is ready.

Italian flatbread with tomatoes and olives

Now it's getting really delicious! Full of flavor and very tasty, this focaccia with tomatoes and olives is perfect for a light appetizer. Of course, you can experiment with the recipe and add other ingredients to your heart's content. How about you serve the bread with onehomemade zucchini pestospread? Or prepare focaccia with tomatoes and feta cheese? The sky is the limit!

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams of wheat flour type 550
  • 25 grams of fresh yeast or alternatively 1 pack of dry yeast
  • 300 ml lukewarm water
  • 40 ml olive oil and another 40 ml for the tomato topping
  • 250 grams of cherry tomatoes
  • 50 grams of olives, pitted and chopped
  • A pinch of sugar
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 tbsp Italian herbs

Preparation:

  • Mix the yeast and sugar with the water in a bowl and stir until you get a homogeneous mixture.
  • Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl and form a large well in the center.
  • Add the yeast mixture, mix well and let it rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes.
  • Add 40 ml olive oil and herbs to the bowl and stir.
  • Knead the dough well with the dough hook of the hand mixer for 8-10 minutes and cover and let it rise in a warm place for another 2 hours.
  • Line a baking tray with baking paper and roll out the dough on it. Let rise again for 0 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
  • Use your fingers to make small depressions in the dough and then top with tomatoes, olives and olive oil.
  • Let rise for another 10 minutes and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
  • Enjoy the focaccia with tomatoes and olives with a glass of white wine.

Filled flatbread with cheese and olives

What's the best way to make any focaccia recipe even better? If we do it withFill cheese, naturally!

Ingredients:

  • 450 grams of strong bread flour
  • 300 ml lukewarm water
  • 1 EL Trockenhefe
  • 50 ml olive oil and some more for drizzling
  • 250 grams frozen spinach, thawed
  • 250 grams fresh mozzarella, diced
  • 40 grams of olives, pitted and chopped finely
  • Fresh thyme, chopped finely
  • Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Preparation:

  • Mix the flour and dry yeast in a large bowl and form a loaf in the middle.
  • Add olive oil and water and mix with a wooden spoon.
  • Pour the mixture onto a floured surface and knead vigorously with your hands for 10 minutes.
  • Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
  • In the meantime, squeeze out the spinach and mix with the mozzarella, olives and thyme.
  • Grease a baking tray with olive oil and preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
  • Knead the dough and divide it into two parts.
  • Spread the spinach mixture over the dough and place the other piece on top.
  • Press the edges together well and brush with olive oil.
  • Bake the filled focaccia for 30 minutes, let it cool slightly and enjoy!

Focaccia recipe with strawberries and basil

Do you also love the combination of sweet and savory? Then we have the perfect focaccia recipe for you! Caramelized onions, aromatic strawberries and basil – a real dream!

Ingredients:

  • 600 grams of wheat flour
  • 420 ml warm water
  • 1 EL Trockenhefe
  • 20 grams of honey
  • 180 ml olive oil
  • 20 Gramm Butter
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 200 grams strawberries, chopped small
  • 50 grams fresh basil, roughly chopped
  • 2 EL Balsamic-Dry
  • 1 tsp salt

Preparation:

  • Mix water, honey and dry yeast in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.
  • Mix the wheat flour, salt and half the olive oil in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
  • Knead with the dough hook of the hand mixer for 6-7 minutes and add a little more flour if necessary.
  • Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour.
  • Grease a baking tray with the remaining olive oil and place the dough on it.
  • Turn once to coat both sides of the dough with oil and make small indentations with your fingers.
  • Cover and let rise for another hour.
  • Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions for 10 minutes.
  • Add balsamic vinegar and caramelize for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and top the focaccia with onions and strawberries.
  • Sprinkle with a little olive oil and sea salt and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Garnish the strawberry focaccia with basil and enjoy!