Caprese Focaccia
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This easy caprese focaccia recipe is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and topped with fresh mozzarella, juicy cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves. Kick things up a notch by spreading a toasty slice with my homemade pesto recipe.
WHAT IS FOCACCIA BREAD?
Focaccia is a flatbread that is leavened with yeast and baked in a flat baking dish. It is similar to a pizza dough but the extra yeast helps the middle of the bread rise and get extra fluffy. It is baked in plenty of olive oil which makes the edges of the bread crispy and super flavorful.
The olive oil is essential to making focaccia bread, so don’t feel tempted to omit it and believe me when I say you will need all of it, even if it looks like way too much.
FOCACCIA: A NO KNEAD BREAD RECIPE
If you are new to baking bread, then focaccia is a great place to start. My caprese focaccia recipe doesn’t require any kneading!
After you make the dough, it just takes a bit of patience to allow the dough to rise prior to baking. This ensures a fluffy crumb that is full of flavor. Not only is focaccia simple to make, but it always turns out so delicious, regardless of your experience level in bread baking.
CAPRESE: FRESH ITALIAN FLAVOR
It’s highly likely that if you enjoy fresh juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves together, you’ve had a caprese salad. That simple combination is what turns plain ol’ focaccia caprese, and if you’re anything like we are, this delicious bread will disappear in a matter of a day or two, too.
Focaccia itself is extremely versatile. You can add lots of different toppings and flavors or simply just sprinkle it with some crunchy sea salt if you’re not feeling creative or fancy (although there is nothing wrong with that simple topping!).
In this recipe, I decided to go with a caprese focaccia because I am a sucker for that fresh flavor combo (try my caprese quiche next!). I topped this focaccia with lots of basil, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes to get all of those amazing classic caprese flavors, and the best part?
I turned leftovers into focaccia sandwiches and made an epic caprese focaccia sandwich with more toppings as the filling. It was like a grilled cheese, caprese style, and I highly recommend it happens in your life, too.
FRESH INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST CAPRESE FOCACCIA RECIPE
The ingredients needed for focaccia are typically used in bread baking and super easy to find. The salt used in the dough can be any kind of salt, but I recommend sprinkling the dough with a coarse salt like Kosher salt or sea salt once it is shaped and ready to go into the oven. This extra coarse salt offers a nice texture.
Lastly, be sure to use fresh mozzarella found in a log or ball with the specialty cheeses in your grocery store.
For this caprese focaccia recipe, you will need:
• all purpose flour
• salt
• active dry yeast
• extra virgin olive oil
• warm water
• garlic
fresh basil
• fresh mozzarella
• fresh tomatoes (cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes)
• coarse salt & cracked black pepper
HOW TO MAKE CAPRESE FOCACCIA BREAD
The method for focaccia bread is very simple, but there is a lot of down time since it gets two rises, just like traditional yeast bread.
We’ll make the dough, let it rise, shape it, let it rise again, then top it and bake it.
MAKE THE FLUFFY FOCACCIA BREAD BASE
Let’s start by making the dough.
STEP #1
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and water and stir to combine. Once combined, use your hands to squeeze the dough together until all of the flour is hydrated.
ALLOW FOCACCIA DOUGH TO RISE
STEP #2
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature for 3 hours. This will allow the yeast to fully develop which means flavor flavor flavor.
MAKE THE GARLIC OLIVE OIL
STEP #3
While the yeast develops, we are going to infuse our olive oil with some garlicky goodness. Pour the remaining 3 Tablespoons of olive oil into a small bowl, add the minced garlic, and allow this mixture to “marinate” while the dough rises.
SHAPE THE EASY FOCACCIA BREAD DOUGH
STEP #4
When the dough has risen, pour 2 Tablespoons of the garlic olive oil into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish or pan and spread around the pan. It does not have to go all the way to the edges, but you don’t want a pool of it in the middle.
STEP #5
Pour the risen dough out into the oiled pan, then flip it over so the coated side is facing up.
STEP #6
Use your fingers to gently stretch the dough until it mostly fills the pan. It may not go all the way to the edges, and that’s ok. Stretch it as far as it will go without too much force.
STEP #7
Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and all to rise for 2 hours. If you are making focaccia ahead of time, you may need up to 1 additional hour of rise time in this step (see recipe notes for more on making this focaccia recipe ahead of time). The dough should have puffed quite a bit.
ADD THE CAPRESE TOPPINGS
STEP #8
When the dough has finished its second rise, preheat the oven to 450ºF (232ºC).
STEP #9
Use your fingertips to stretch the dough again, pressing your fingertips all the way down through the dough to the bottom of the pan. The dough should easily stretch to the edges now.
STEP #10
Drizzle the last remaining Tablespoon of garlic olive oil onto the top of the dough, then scatter evenly with chopped basil. Place the mozzarella pieces and halved tomatoes spaced out evenly onto the top of the dough, then use your fingertips to press the toppings into the dough, again, pushing all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
STEP #11
Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper, if desired.
BAKE FOCACCIA BREAD TO PERFECTION
STEP #12
Bake the caprese focaccia for 25-30 minutes or until desired level of golden brown. The olive oil may bubble up in the corners of the pan, but it should not overflow. If you think it might, place a baking sheet in the oven on the lowest rack to catch any overflow.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before slicing and serving. You can serve it warm or at room temperature, and if you want to reheat it, it does so beautifully in an oven under the broiler or in an air fryer.
FOCACCIA BREAD FAQS
More HOMEMADE Bread Recipes to Try
Caprese Focaccia Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 and ½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons + 3 Tablespoons (75mL) extra virgin olive oil divided (2 Tbs in the dough, 2 Tbs in the pan, 1 Tbs on top)
- 1 and ¼ cups (300mL) warm water about 120ºF (49ºC)
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh basil coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces (113g) fresh mozzarella sliced or torn into ½" cubes
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes about 16 cherry tomatoes
- coarse salt and cracked black pepper as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast, 2 Tablespoons (30mL) of the olive oil, and water and stir to combine. Once combined, use your hands to squeeze the dough together until all of the flour is hydrated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 3 hours.
- Pour the remaining 3 Tablespoons (45mL) of olive oil into a small bowl, add the minced garlic, and allow to "marinate" while the dough rises.
- When the dough has risen, pour 2 Tablespoons (30mL) of the garlic olive oil into the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish or pan and spread around the pan. It does not have to go all the way to the edges, but you don't want a pool of it in the middle.
- Pour the risen dough out into the oiled pan, then flip it over so the coated side is facing up.
- Use your fingers to gently stretch the dough until it mostly fills the pan. It may not go all the way to the edges, and that's ok. Stretch it as far as it will go without too much force.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and allow to rise for 2 hours. If you are making this focaccia ahead1 of time, you may need up to 1 additional hour of rise time in this step. The dough should have puffed quite a bit.
- When the dough has finished its second rise, preheat the oven to 450ºF (232ºC). Use your fingertips to stretch the dough again, pressing your fingertips all the way down through the dough to the bottom of the pan. The dough should easily stretch to the edges now.
- Drizzle the last remaining Tablespoon of garlic olive oil onto the top of the dough, then scatter evenly with the chopped basil. Place the mozzarella pieces and halved tomatoes spaced out evenly onto the top of the dough, then use your fingertips to press the toppings into the dough, again, pushing all the way through to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.
- Bake the focaccia for 25-30 minutes or until desired level of golden brown. The olive oil may bubble up in the corners of the pan, but it should not overflow. If you think it might, place a baking sheet in the oven on the lowest rack to catch any overflow.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before slicing and serving. You can serve it warm or room temperature. Store leftovers2 at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Sliced focaccia can be frozen, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Notes
- Make ahead: to make this focaccia ahead of time, allow dough to have its first rise at room temperature, then immediately place in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and proceed with step 4 (the dough will be cold, and that’s totally fine).
- Serving leftovers: we find leftover focaccia to be as close to fresh with 2-3 minutes in the air fryer at 400ºF (204ºC).
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Can you believe I’ve never made focaccia?! I am shocked too because I love to bake breads and now I can’t stop making fococcia! Great tips, great recipes, even better taste! My family (and my hips) thank you!
I can’t believe I’d never made one before this either! It’s so good!!
A winner! I love the soft and chewy bread, and bites of cherry tomatoes. My new go to focaccia recipe!
Thank you so much, Min!
What a beautiful loaf of Focaccia! I made your recipe and served it with a simple dipping oil on a charcuterie board and it went so well with my other meats and cheeses. It look gourmet!
Oh that sounds SO YUM! How fancy!
Came out great!
Awesome, Kyla! Thanks for letting me know 🙂