This Easy Garlic Rosemary Focaccia is soft, fluffy, and golden with crispy edges and a garlicky, herby top. And you won’t believe how easy (and fun) it is to make! There’s no kneading required, just stir, rest, and bake! Whether you’re serving it with pasta, soup, or just dipping it in olive oil, it’s bakery-quality bread made right at home with almost no effort.
If you’ve ever wanted to try baking bread at home but felt intimidated, focaccia is the perfect place to start. This recipe is ridiculously easy, no stand mixer, no kneading, no fuss. You just stir the dough together, let it do its thing overnight (or all day), and then bake it up into a golden, garlicky, rosemary-infused slice of heaven.
The first time I made this, I was shocked at how easy it was and how much better it tasted than ANY focaccia I’ve ever had before. Better than any bakery or restaurant and it’s so easy to make. And if you don’t like rosemary/garlic check my recipe notes for more topping ideas!
Why You Should Skip the Bakery and Make Your Own Focaccia Instead
The easiest homemade bread to make: Sandwich bread, rolls, and bagels all require shaping, but with focaccia, there is no shaping or fancy techniques, just stretch the dough into a pan. Perfect for beginner bakers.
No-knead recipe: Time does the work for you, so even if you’re new to baking with yeast, you’ll nail it.
Perfect texture and big flavor: Garlic, rosemary, and olive oil make this homemade focaccia recipe absolutely delicious, and the crispy edges and pillowy, fluffy, bubbly interior make it irresistible.
Ingredients for Garlic Rosemary Focaccia
All-purpose flour: Nothing fancy, just your everyday flour.
Instant yeast: No need to bloom it first, just stir it in.
Salt: Essential for flavor. It may seem like a lot, but trust me on this!
Warm water: When you stick your finger in it, it should feel pleasantly warm, not too hot, not too cold. (Think bath water temperature).
Olive oil: makes the dough tender and gives that signature crispy crust.
Garlic & Rosemary: the classic topping duo, but you can totally mix it up (see more ideas in the recipe notes).
How to Make This Easy Focaccia Recipe
Make the dough: Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl, then stir in the water and 1 tablespoon of oil. Keep stirring until the mixture comes together into a sticky shaggy dough.
Let it rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours, or until it doubles in size and gets bubbly.
Add the dough to the pan: Coat a sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and stretch it to the edges as best as you can. Cover the pan and let the dough rest for 45 to 60 minutes, or until puffy. Towards the end of this time, start preheating the oven to 425ºF
Dimple the dough: Drizzle the remaining oil on top of the dough, then use your fingers to create deep dimples all over the surface.
Top it: Sprinkle the focaccia with the garlic, rosemary, and flaky salt.
Bake: Bake the focaccia for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are crispy. Cool slightly, then slice and serve.
Tips and Variations
Watch the dough, not the clock: Every kitchen is a little different, so don’t worry too much about the exact time. Just let the dough hang out until it looks doubled and bubbly, that’s when it’s ready. And if it hangs out a little longer, that’s totally fine too.
Try other toppings: Try caramelised onions + chili flakes, sliced olives + lemon zest, cherry tomatoes + basil, red onion + thyme, or vegan parmesan and black pepper. You can even make a “focaccia garden” with veggie flowers if you’re feeling creative.
Make it oil-free: While olive oil is classic, you can replace the oil in this easy focaccia recipe with an unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk. Line the pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. The crust will be softer and less crisp without the oil, but still tasty.
What to Serve With This Easy Focaccia Recipe
How to Store and Reheat
Fresh is best – honestly, nothing beats it the day of.
Room temp – keep leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Freezer – wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in the oven to bring back the crisp edges.
If you try this easy focaccia recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don’t forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it for later!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
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Easy Focaccia Recipe (Garlic Rosemary, No Knead, Crispy Edges)
This Easy Garlic Rosemary Focaccia is soft, fluffy, and golden with crispy edges and a garlicky, herby top. And you won’t believe how easy (and fun) it is to make! There’s no kneading required- just stir, rest, and bake! Whether you’re serving it with pasta, soup, or just dipping it in olive oil, it’s bakery-quality bread made right at home with almost no effort.
Servings: – 10
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Instructions
Make the dough (the night before or in the morning): In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil. Stir until a soft dough forms, no kneading!
Let it rise: Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and let rest at room temperature for 8-18 hours. The dough will double in size and become bubbly. It may deflate slightly by the time you’re ready to bake, this is normal.
Prep the pan: Generously coat a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil. Use a spatula to gently release the dough from the bowl and transfer it to the pan. Do not knead or punch it down, you want to preserve the bubbles! Gently stretch the dough toward the edges. Cover and let rest in the pan for 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) while the dough rests in the pan.
Top and dimple: Just before baking, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil. Use your fingers to press deep dimples all over the surface. Sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, and flaky salt.
Bake: Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are crisp. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
Freezing: Let the baked focaccia cool completely, then wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes to refresh the crust.
Prevent Sticking: Use a metal pan and coat well with oil, or line any pan with parchment paper for easy release.
Gluten-Free Option: Not tested, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum should work, but expect a softer, denser result.
Oil-Free Option: Line pan with parchment and brush dough with plant-based milk before baking. Crust will be softer and less crisp.
More Topping Ideas:
Switch up the garlic-rosemary combo with any of these tasty options:
Thinly sliced red onion + thyme
Cherry tomatoes + basil
Sliced olives + lemon zest
Vegan parmesan + cracked black pepper
Caramelized onion + chili flakes
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 8 servings) | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 3mg
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