Rosemary-Fennel Focaccia Recipe
Fluffy homemade focaccia recipes flavored with fragrant rosemary and fennel seeds. Dairy free!
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Servings: 8
Calories: 249kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water, 85°F to 95°F
- 1 (7-ounce) package active dry yeast, 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 4 cups bread flour, divided
- 1/2 cup (or so) extra virgin olive oil, divided (plus more for garnish)
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds, divided
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Mix dough. Whisk together 2 cups warm water and package of yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit 5-10 minutes until creamy and beginning to foam.
- Add 2 cups of the flour, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Chop the fennel seeds with a sharp knife or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Measure out 1/2 teaspoon of the fennel and add that to the flour mixture along with the 2 teaspoons black pepper.
- Using the dough hook attachment, begin mixing on low. Once the ingredients are well combined, add remaining flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, sticky dough is formed (you may not use all the flour). The dough should not cling to the sides of the bowl but will still be soft and sticky at the bottom of the bowl. It is better for the dough to be too wet, then too dry. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 8 minutes.
- First rise. Oil a large bowl and transfer dough to oiled bowl. Turn the dough so it is covered in oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
- Press into baking sheet. Choose a baking sheet or baking dish you are going to use. I like to use a small 9 x 13-inch baking sheet or a 7 x 11-inch baking dish (the smaller your baking sheet the thicker the focaccia will be). Pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the baking sheet or dish by 1/4-inch (about 1/2 cup or so). Using oiled hands, slide dough onto the baking sheet. Fold a third of the dough into the middle, then fold the other side over to cover (you should now have a rectangle). Flip the dough so it is seam-side down and the long-side of the dough matches the long side of the baking pan.
- Spray one side of plastic wrap with baking spray. Cover pan loosely with the plastic wrap, oiled side down and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 425°F and arrange rack in the middle. If the dough hasn't spread to cover the entire baking sheet, gently press it into the corners. Press a singular finger all over dough to form indentations. You don't want to disrupt the air pockets you've worked so hard to achieve so don't crush your fingers too hard onto the dough. You don't want to deflate it.
- Drizzle top of dough with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary. Let bread rise again for another 30 minutes.
- Bake focaccia until firm to the touch and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
- Cool and serve. Remove focaccia from the baking sheet, transfer to a rack and drizzle with another tablespoon or so of olive oil if you'd like. Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.