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Rosemary parmesan focaccia bread is packed with flavor and perfect for dipping in olive oil or as a side for soup or salad. Makes great sandwiches too!
Feautured with this recipe
This rosemary parmesan focaccia bread is my go-to whenever we go out to eat at a sandwich place. The woodsy rosemary and buttery parmesan cheese pair well together in a simple dough that bakes up to perfection and is really tasty for just about any sandwich.
This is a foolproof bread recipe to try if you’re experimenting with baking. It’s the perfect side to so many soups and salads and is also deliciously cubed and served with dips. Bread should be delicious and amazing in flavor when baking. See just how simple this recipe is to make!
Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia Bread Ingredients
Take your pantry staple ingredients and create the best focaccia bread! No need for bread flour for this recipe. It is simple and can be made within a few hours. It is fresh, full of flavor, and delicious in every way!
- Warm water – The water needs to be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit in order to activate and start the dough.
- Yeast – Active dry yeast is a slower rise time and does well when keeping the dough in cooler temperatures. Yeast is mixed with warm water and sugar to create the bread dough.
- Sugar – This feeds the yeast and helps the rise go a little quicker.
- Salt – A thicker salt like sea salt gives a delicious texture and balances out the flavors together.
- Olive oil – Drizzle oil over the top of the bread dough and brush it through the dimples of the dough. This will give the bread a nice crisp outside when baking while keeping the inside of the bread nice and soft.
- Flour – The base of the bread is flour. We used all-purpose flour but you can use whole wheat flour too.
- Rosemary – Fresh rosemary is best! This will give it that rich, beautiful flavor, and the coloring on the bread looks delicious and presentable.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grate your cheese for a more authentic and savory flavor.
How to Make Homemade Focaccia Bread
Easy focaccia bread takes a bit of time to make but most bread does! Don’t let that stop you from making this soft, rich, and savory bread for your next meal. There are two times this bread needs to rise and activating the yeast is time-consuming. Luckily you just have to wait and let the dough do its job!
- Activate yeast – In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water, along with the sugar.
- Stir and cover – Once the yeast mixture becomes frothy, add the salt, oil, and flour. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
- Knead – Sprinkle flour on a lightly floured surface and knead your focaccia dough until you can handle the dough without it being too sticky.
- Second rise – Place a round loaf onto a cookie sheet, pizza pan, or baking tray and press down into a large flat circle. Cover the dough using plastic wrap or cloth and let it raise again until doubles in size.
- Prepare – Punch holes all over the dough with your fingers. Brush the surface generously with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and rosemary.
- Bake – Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown all over the surface.
Suggestions for this Recipe
Follow these suggestions and ideas for making this homemade focaccia bread recipe! Fresh is always better and using fresh herbs and cheese, as well as oil and picking the right salt can make all the difference for this fancy bread. Take your focaccia bread to the next level with these quick and easy suggestions!
- Fresh is best – Fresh rosemary sprigs are ideal for this recipe but if you only have dried herbs on hand, feel free to use them! You may just need to add a little bit more dried Rosemary to get the flavor that fresh would offer.
- Freshly grated – Freshly grated parmesan cheese is what dreams are made of; buttery, slightly tangy, and tastes so much better than the powdered stuff you get at the grocery store.
- Kosher salt – I like to use kosher salt for this bread because the grains are slightly larger than table salt and offer a beautiful salty flavor.
- High quality- Opt for a really good quality olive oil. I’ve tried several brands and you can definitely tell a difference. I prefer extra virgin olive oil but any olive oil you have on hand will work.
What to Serve with Easy Focaccia Bread
We love dipping it in olive oil mixed with some yummy spices or dipping it in some of these delectable recipes. Enjoy your bread as is or add a little more to it for dipping or spreading over top. The choices and options are endless!
- Appetizers – Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip, Sun Dried Tomato and Artichoke Dip, or Melting Pot’s Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue are our favorite appetizer or dip recipes.
- Meals – Make a pizza overtop and melt all your favorite toppings using this bread as pizza dough. Add it to soup or salad as a side dish for a complete meal.
- Sandwiches – Chicken Pesto Sandwich, Turkey Over Italy Sandwich, Cobb Salad Sandwich, Turkey Bacon Avocado Panini Sandwich, or this Avocado Bacon Sandwich as a base for a delicious sandwich.
“Yum! Loved the flavor and was so easy to make! My girls loved helping me and we made it with spinach dip. It was the perfect pairing!”
-Julie B
Frequently Asked Questions
Focaccia bread comes from the Roman words “panis focacius”. It simply means the fireplace bread or center bread which is thought to mean and refer to the bread how the bread was originally made. This bread was baked over ashes in a fireplace in the center of early homes.
Focaccia bread is a fresh and homemade bread that is baked at a high temperature compared to other bread recipes. Compared to other recipes, focaccia does not get stale easily because of the high amount of olive oil and herbs that are baked into the bread. Focaccia also has more gluten than normal bread.
Rosemary focaccia is always delicious next to soup or salad and the presentation is beautiful when cut into long triangle shapes. Chicken, pork, or steak also has a great flavor combination when paired with focaccia bread.
Most bread recipes are filled with carbohydrates and have a high content of sugars. This focaccia bread is the same but can be a bit healthier when consumed in moderation. The type of carbs in the focaccia does help control the body’s energy and can potentially help the blood sugar levels too.
More Bread Recipes to Love
Bread is a comforting and savory dish that is there to add to any meal. It is the perfect side dish, dipping master or just a slice with butter makes everyone happy. Try some of our favorite bread recipes today!
Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups really warm water
- 2 packets yeast
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups flour
- rosemary
- grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water, along with the sugar.
- Once it becomes frothy, add the salt, oil, and flour. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Cover bowl and let raise for 1 hour.
- Sprinkle a working surface with flour and knead until you can handle the dough without it being too sticky.
- Place round loaf onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan and press down into a large flat circle. Cover the dough again and let it raise until double in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch holes all over the dough with your fingers.
- Brush the surface generously with olive oil, the sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and rosemary.
- Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned all over the surface.
- Let bread cool before slicing.
Nutrition Information
I love this recipe because I grow herbs on our farm.
I’m so glad you like the recipe! I love that you grow your own herbs. Fresh is always best! 🙂
So easy to make and DELICIOUS! We all loved it! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Yum! Loved the flavor and was so easy to make! My girls loved helping me and we made it with spinach dip. It was the perfect pairing!
This bread is so good! We love it! My favorite way to eat it is dipped in some good garlic olive oil, fabulous!
i would like to know if I could use whole wheat too, I don’t see a reply
I have not tried whole-wheat but I don’t see why not.
If you substituted whole wheat flour for the flour, is there any other substitutions/additions to be made?
Hi! This might be a stupid question, but what should I cover it with? Plastic wrap or a cloth?
I have actually done both, either way works fine! 🙂