This fluffy focaccia recipe (Italian flatbread) is easy to make and delicious – with an amazing texture and a beautiful crispy crust.
Made with a yeast dough (with garlic, mozzarella cheese and fresh rosemary) that rises twice and topped with olive oil and fresh rosemary and sprinkled with coarse sea salt before baking.
This is my go-to Italian flatbread focaccia recipe and every time I make it, it’s always a big hit. It’s fluffy, absolutely delicious and easy to make (perfect for beginner bakers). Perfect for breakfast, brunch, as a snack or side dish.
What I like about focaccia is that you can top your bread with any topping of your choice, from olives, red onions, fresh garlic to grated Parmesan cheese.
I have also made this focaccia with dried herbs a couple of times and it always turned out well. You can also substitute fresh rosemary in the dough with any Italian herbs you that you prefer.
What is this light and fluffy flatbread recipe made of
This flatbread is made with a yeast dough that rises twice, that’s loaded with fresh mozzarella cheese, dry yeast, fresh rosemary, garlic and olive oil. The dough is then pulled out, drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh rosemary and coarse sea salt before baking for 20 minutes.
Ingredients used to make this foccacia with mozzarella and rosemary
For the yeast dough
- 500 g (4 cups) plain flour (all purpose flour), plus extra for dusting
- 6 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + ½ tbs/ about 3.4 fl.oz) milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250 ml (about 1 cup/ 8.5 fl.oz) lukewarm water
- 100 g (approx. 4 oz) fresh Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
For the topping
- about 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
How to make mozzarella focaccia
Make the yeast dough
Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Then pour lukewarm into the center of the flour. Add sugar and yeast to the well. Stir well and let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes.
In the meantime mince garlic and fresh rosemary. Then cut mozzarella cheese in small slices. Next add garlic, rosemary, mozzarella cheese, salt, milk and olive oil to the bowl and knead the dough very well.
I normally knead my dough like this:
1) If I’m kneading it with the hand mixer, I knead the dough for about 8 minutes at low speed and then for 5 minutes on medium high speed.
2) With the kitchen machine I knead the dough for 7 minutes at low speed (speed 1, on Bosch kitchen machine) and for 3 more minutes at medium high speed (speed 3).
3) With the hands, I knead the dough for about 10 to 12 minutes. If the dough is sticky when kneading with the hands, just oil them with few drops of vegetable oil. If you’re using a heavy duty kitchen machine, please knead your dough for maximum 7 minutes in total. Otherwise you will be overworking the dough.
Shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with cling film and then with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
- If it’s cold where you are, just preheat your oven to 50 °C (122 °F) while making the dough, turn it off and let the dough rise in the preheated switched off oven for the indicated time.
Pull out the focaccia dough into the baking dish and let rise
In the meantime, rub a baking dish with butter and line with a parchment paper. I used a 45×37 cm (17.72 x 14.57 inch) baking sheet. After the first rise, tip the dough in the middle of the baking dish and rub your hands with a few drops of olive oil.
Using your hands carefully press out the dough out to fit the baking sheet to the edges and corners. You want to retain the air bubbles in the dough intact so that you have a nicely fluffy and a soft flatbread.
Loosely cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for another 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 °C (392 °F) with both up and low heat.
Add the toppings and bake
After the second rise, put a few drops of olive oil onto your fingers and rub them. Then gently press your oiled fingertips into the dough to create dimples.
Drizzle the top with olive oil and then sprinkle with coarse salt and chopped fresh rosemary.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy while still warm.
This fluffy focaccia bread can stay fresh up to 3 days. Just wrap it in a plastic or cover it with a clean kitchen towel, so that it will stay moist.
What to serve with this mozzarella focaccia with rosemary
- You can have it for breakfast
- As starter with red pepper and feta dip or tzatziki
- As a side dish to about everything from aubergine and feta bake, chili con carne, eggplant salat, Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce to pork tenderloin with creamy sauce.
Fluffy Focaccia Recipe With Mozzarella And Rosemary
Equipment
- baking sheet and parchment paper
- Kitchen machine or hand mixer with dough hooks
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g (4 cup/ 1.1 lbs) plain flour/ all purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 6 teaspoons dry yeast
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 ½ tbs) milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250 ml (about 1 cup/ 8.5 fl.oz) lukewarm water
- 100 g (approx. 4 oz) fresh Mozzarella cheese drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra for greasing
For the topping
- about 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
Instructions
- Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Then pour lukewarm into the center of the flour. Add sugar and yeast to the well. Stir well and let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes.
- In the meantime mince garlic and fresh rosemary. Then cut mozzarella cheese in small slices.
- Next add garlic, rosemary, mozzarella cheese, salt, milk and olive oil to the bowl and knead the dough very well. I normally knead my yeast doughs like this:1) If I’m kneading it with the hand mixer, I knead the dough for about 8 minutes at low speed and then for 5 minutes on medium high speed.2) With the kitchen machine I knead the dough for 7 minutes at low speed (speed 1, on Bosch kitchen machine) and for 3 more minutes at medium high speed (speed 3).3) With the hands, I knead the dough for about 10 to 12 minutes. If the dough is sticky when kneading with the hands, just oil them with few drops of vegetable oil. If you’re using a heavy duty kitchen machine, please knead your dough for maximum 7 minutes in total. Otherwise you will be overworking the dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Cover the bowl with cling film and then with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.*If it’s cold where you are, just preheat your oven to 50 °C (122 °F) while making the dough, turn it off and let the dough rise in the preheated switched off oven for the indicated time.
- In the meantime, rub a baking dish with butter and line with a parchment paper. I used a 45×37 cm (17.72 x 14.57 inch) baking sheet. After the first rise, tip the dough in the middle of the baking dish and rub your hands with a few drops of olive oil.
- Using your hands carefully press out the dough out to fit the baking sheet to the edges and corners. You want to retain the air bubbles in the dough intact so that you have a nicely fluffy and a soft flatbread.
- Loosely cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for another 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to to 200 °C (392 °F), with both up and low heat.
- After the second rise, put a few drops of olive oil onto your fingers and rub them. Then gently press your oiled fingertips into the dough to create dimples.
- Drizzle the top with olive oil and then sprinkle with coarse salt and chopped fresh rosemary.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy while still warm.
- This bread can stay fresh up to 3 days. Just wrap it in a plastic or cover it with a clean kitchen towel, so that it will stay moist.
Notes
- If it’s cold where you are, just preheat your oven to 50 ° C (122 °F) while making the dough, turn it off and let the dough rise in preheated switched off oven for the given time.
- This bread can stay fresh up to 3 days. Just wrap it in a plastic or cover it with a clean kitchen towel, so that it will stay moist.
Did you make this lighty and fluffy focaccia bread recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it.
Ewa
Tuesday 26th of March 2019
I love focaccia! I need to try your one :)
Janeese
Monday 25th of March 2019
I can't wait to try this!