Wondering what to do with focaccia? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 18 recipes to put it to work.

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is a flat Italian oven bread, dimpled all over and baked rich with olive oil. The dough is wetter than most, which gives it an open, springy crumb.

A generous pour of oil in the pan and over the top fries the bottom crisp while keeping the inside tender.

Those dimples are not just for looks. You press them in with your fingertips so they hold pools of oil and coarse salt, plus whatever else you scatter on top, from rosemary to halved cherry tomatoes.

At its plainest it is just salt, oil, and herbs. From there it carries almost anything, which is why it works as well for snacking as it does as a sturdy sandwich base.

How to Use It

Out of the oven, focaccia is a dipping bread first. Tear it warm and drag it through good olive oil with a little balsamic, or mop up the last of a brothy soup.

Split horizontally, it becomes one of the best sandwich breads going. Its sturdy, oil-rich crumb holds up to juicy fillings without going soggy, which is why it anchors a California Grilled Veggie Sandwich and a Muffaletta piled with cured meats and olive salad.

Pressed in a hot panini grill, the oil in the crumb helps it crisp and brown. That is the structure behind an Italian Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, & Basil Panini, and it stands in for a bun under Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burgers.

You can also treat the bread itself as the canvas and load the toppings before baking. A Mushroom Focaccia and a Pesto, Tomato & Mozzarella Focaccia both build flavor right into the dimpled top rather than serving it plain alongside.

Toppings and Common Mistakes

The classic finish is coarse sea salt and fresh rosemary pressed into the oiled top before baking.

From there, cooks branch out to thinly sliced onion or olives, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, even grapes for a sweet-savory version. Bacon, Walnut & Feta Focaccia and Focaccia Provencale show how far the toppings can range.

Pair it with anything Mediterranean, from tomato and basil to cured meats or soft cheeses, with a bowl of brothy white beans never far behind.

The most common mistake is skimping on oil. Focaccia is supposed to be generously oiled, both in the pan and on top, and a dry pan gives you a pale, bready bottom instead of a crisp, almost-fried one.

The second mistake is overworking the wet dough or skipping the rest. A well-hydrated dough that proofs fully bakes light and airy; rush it or knead it tight and you get a dense, flat result.

Focaccia Versus Pizza Dough

People often ask how it differs from pizza dough, since both are oil-friendly yeasted flatbreads. The short answer is hydration and thickness.

Focaccia dough is wetter and gets a long rise in an oiled pan, so it bakes up thick and spongy.

Pizza dough is drier and stretched thin, baking into a crisp, chewy crust meant to carry sauce and cheese. You can stretch focaccia dough thin and use it for pizza in a pinch, but it will read as a thicker, breadier crust.

Buying and Storage

Bakery focaccia is best the day it is made, sold as slabs at the bread counter or in the deli case. Press the top gently; it should feel springy and look glossy with oil, not dry or dense.

At room temperature, wrap it loosely and eat it within a day or two before the crust softens and the crumb stales. Refrigerating actually speeds staling, so keep it on the counter unless it has a perishable topping.

For longer storage, freeze it well wrapped for up to two months. Reheat focaccia, fresh or thawed, in a 350°F (175°C) oven for a few minutes to bring the crisp edge back; the microwave only makes it tough and chewy.

Quick facts

In Chinese

意式薄饼

British (UK) term

Focaccia

en français

focaccia

en español

focaccia

Recipes using focaccia

There are 18 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 18 recipes