I’ve always loved to make my own Lemon & Rosemary focaccia bread. When I first started, I followed a traditional recipe using my Kitchen Aid & dough hook to knead the dough for 7-10 minutes. Then, let the dough rise at room temperature before baking. Recently, I came across a new method of making focaccia that changed my world! Thank you @alexandracooks for introducing me to the overnight, refrigerator method and your amazing recipe. While this method does take longer, your patience will be rewarded. And surprisingly it is so much easier than pulling out the kitchen aid!
I modified the original recipe slightly by adding lavender honey to the dough and finishing with rosemary and lemon zest. I also like to use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour as it gives the bread a light yet chewy texture. If you want the original recipe, check out her site. She has a great video and lots of tips on how to make the perfect focaccia bread!
This bread can be served with just about anything you like. My favorite is to serve it with my Simply Paired Tomato Sauce and a nice bottle of Portuguese red wine! Hope you enjoy it!
TIP: What’s great about this recipe is that it makes 2 loaves — perfect for a party! I have also found that this bread freezes beautifully. Once the bread is completely cooled, you can place in a Ziploc freezer bag, remove as much of the air as possible and place it in the freezer. To thaw, remove from the freezer bag and place on a wire rack to thaw. Should take 1-2 hours. Before serving, I like to pop in a 375-degree oven for about 3-5 minutes to get the top nice and crispy. Garnish with some more lemon zest and serve.
Lemon & Rosemary Focaccia
Ingredients
- 4 cups of bread flour
- 2 teaspoons Instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups Lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon Maldon or flaky sea salt
Directions
- Step 1 To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the honey and water. Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and combine with a wooden spoon. You should have a soft, sticky dough. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and coat the dough evenly with your hands. This will prevent the dough from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. The dough will rise over time and should double in size.
- Step 2 Prepare 2 9 inch cake pans by coating with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in each pan. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and deflate with your hand. Separate the dough in half, and place 1 half in each of the cake pans. Roll the dough in olive oil and form it into a ball. Let the dough rest and rise at room temperature for about 4 hours.
- Step 3 Preheat oven to 425.
- Step 4 Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over each round of dough. Using the tips of your fingers and press down into the dough to create “dimples”. Feel free to add more olive oil if needed. Sprinkle the top with fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt to taste.
- Step 5 Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the pans and continue to cool on the wire rack for another 5 minutes. Garnish each focaccia with the zest of 1 lemon and serve with your favorite extra virgin olive oil.
