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Bread machine focaccia is the easiest way to make a fluffy, golden, olive-oil-rich Italian flatbread at home. The bread machine handles the kneading and first rise, and you finish it in the oven for that crisp, salt-flecked crust.
Homemade focaccia tends to feel intimidating until you make it the bread machine way. The machine does all the kneading and first rise, then you press the dough into a pan, dimple it with your fingers, top with olive oil and salt, and bake. Total active time is under 15 minutes. The result rivals what you’d buy at a bakery, especially for sandwiches: split horizontally and stuff with deli meat, fresh mozzarella, or roasted vegetables.
I’ve tested this in my Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme and a Cuisinart bread machine; any bread machine with a dough cycle works. See the Variations section below for rosemary, garlic, olive, and sweet versions, or browse my full collection of bread machine recipes.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Homemade sandwiches are actually the main reason I wanted to learn how to make focaccia in the bread machine. There’s this incredible local bakery that used to make the absolute best sandwiches on fluffy focaccia bread. They baked it in a slightly smaller pan than you otherwise would, and it was just a bit thicker than the traditional flatbread. That means you could slice it in half horizontally and get two fluffy sandwich pieces with that perfect crisp salty piece on top.
The sandwiches themselves were simple, it was the bread that made them amazing. While homemade focaccia may seem intimidating, it’s a snap if you make the dough in a bread machine.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Makes: 1 (9×13) pan, about 12 pieces
- Active prep: 10 minutes (plus dimpling and topping)
- Total time: about 3 hours (dough cycle + second rise + bake)
- Pan: 9×13 inch baking pan, generously oiled
- Machine setting: Dough cycle (not Basic White)
- Oven: 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes
- Flour: 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose
- Yeast: 2 1/2 tsp SAF instant yeast (also sold as bread machine yeast)
Ingredients for Bread Machine Focaccia
Focaccia is a minimalist dough: water, olive oil, flour, salt, yeast. The olive oil and the topping are what give it its character.
- Water: Lukewarm, warm to the touch but not hot (over 110°F kills yeast).
- Olive oil: Extra-virgin is traditional and adds the most flavor. You’ll use 3 tablespoons in the dough plus more for greasing the pan and drizzling on top before baking.
- Flour: All-purpose, bread flour, or “00” pizza/focaccia flour all work. I usually use King Arthur All-Purpose for a softer crumb; bread flour gives a chewier result.
- Salt: Essential for flavor and yeast regulation. Plus more flaky sea salt for the top.
- SAF instant yeast: SAF instant yeast is what I use. Bread machine yeast is the same product. For active dry yeast, use 3 tsp instead of 2 1/2 tsp and dissolve in the water for 10 minutes before starting.
For toppings, the simplest version is just olive oil and flaky salt. Rosemary, garlic, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, and grated parmesan are all classic; see Variations below.
Flour notes: All three flour types work, but the result varies. All-purpose gives the softest, most tender crumb. Bread flour gives a chewier, more bread-like crumb. “00” pizza or focaccia flour gives the most authentic Italian texture and rises higher; if you can find it, it’s worth the upgrade. If your dough looks dry during the first minutes of kneading, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
How to Make Bread Machine Focaccia
The bread machine handles the kneading and first rise on the dough cycle. You finish in the oven.
Step 1. Add water and olive oil to the bread pan first. Then add flour on top, covering the liquid completely.
Step 2. Make a small well in the flour for the salt and yeast. Keep the salt on one side and the yeast on the other; direct contact slows the yeast.
Step 3. Select the Dough cycle and press start. Most machines run the dough cycle for about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50 minutes. The cycle handles the knead and the first rise.
Step 4. When the dough cycle finishes, press the dough into a generously oiled 9×13 pan. Use about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the pan. Press the dough out to fill the corners; it’ll be loose and stretchy. You’ll lose most of the air from the first rise, which is fine.
Step 5. Cover and let rise for 45 to 90 minutes until doubled. A warm spot speeds it up (the top of a preheating oven works well). A cool kitchen takes longer. Don’t rush this; the second rise is what gives focaccia its airy texture.
Step 6. Preheat oven to 425°F. Dimple the dough with your fingertips, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky salt. The dimples (about an inch apart) keep the focaccia from puffing up like cake. Add any toppings now (rosemary, herbs, olives, etc.).
Step 7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden. Let cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Best served warm or at room temperature the same day.
Recipe Tips
Use plenty of olive oil in the pan. Two tablespoons is the minimum; more is better. The oil keeps the dough from sticking and gives the bottom crust its characteristic crisp, golden color. If you skimp on the oil, you’ll fight the dough out of the pan.
Dimple firmly, all the way down to the bottom of the pan. Many first-time focaccia bakers dimple too gently. Press your fingertips most of the way through the dough; this is what gives focaccia its dimpled, flat-but-airy character. The dimples will mostly fill back in during baking.
For an extra-crisp crust, add steam. Bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour into a baking dish on the lower rack while the oven preheats. The steam mimics what commercial bakery ovens do.
Best eaten the day it’s made. Focaccia loses its crisp crust within hours and gets a bit chewy by day two. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh, or freeze any leftovers within a day for best texture later.
Variations
The base dough stays the same; the toppings make the focaccia. Add toppings just before baking, after the dimpling and oil drizzle:
- Rosemary focaccia: The classic. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried) on top before baking. Press lightly into the dimples so they don’t burn.
- Garlic focaccia: Mix 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic into the olive oil drizzle. Or roast a whole head of garlic and press soft cloves into the dimples before baking.
- Olive focaccia: Press 1/2 cup of pitted kalamata or mixed olives into the dimples before baking. Pairs beautifully with rosemary.
- Tomato focaccia: Press halved cherry tomatoes (cut side up) into the dimples. Excellent in late summer with garden tomatoes.
- Sweet focaccia (focaccia dolce): Skip the salt topping. Drizzle with olive oil, then top with halved grapes or sliced figs and a sprinkle of sugar. Italian breakfast or dessert focaccia.
- Focaccia sandwich loaf: Bake in two 9×9 pans instead of one 9×13 for thicker focaccia that splits horizontally for sandwiches.
- More bread machine recipes to try: If you love this one, see my Bread Machine French Bread for another crisp-crust loaf, my Bread Machine White Bread for a soft sandwich loaf, my Bread Machine Brioche for a buttery enriched dough, my Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread for a wholesome sandwich option, or my Bread Machine Honey White Bread for a lightly sweet everyday loaf.
This was so easy and so darn good! I’ve got a fancier recipe that is involved, very multi-day process, and this was super close to it and 100 times easier. Let the bread machine do all the work, soaked the rising dough in olive oil, put more on top after dimpling, and away into the oven. Will make again.
FAQs
Not really. Focaccia needs to be flat and wide to get its characteristic dimpled, crisp-bottom texture. Baking in the bread machine pan would give you a tall, sandwich-loaf-shaped bread with no crisp top, which isn’t focaccia. The dough cycle plus oven baking is the right path.
Yes. “00” pizza or focaccia flour gives the most authentic Italian texture and rises slightly higher. Use the same amount as bread flour. Worth the upgrade if you can find it, but all-purpose and bread flour both work beautifully too.
Most often, the room is too cold or the yeast is past its prime. Set the pan on top of a preheating oven or in a warm draft-free spot, and give it the full 90 minutes if needed. If your yeast is more than 4 months past its package date, replace it. See the Bread Machine Troubleshooting Guide for more rise-related fixes.
Best the day it’s made. For day two, store at room temperature wrapped in a clean dish towel and refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes before serving. For longer storage, freeze in a zip-top bag within a day of baking; thaw and reheat in the oven.
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Bread Machine Focaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cups bread flour, or all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp SAF Instant Yeast, or 3 tsp active dry yeast
For Shaping and Baking
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for greasing the pan and drizzling on top
- 1/2 tsp flakey salt
- Optional Toppings, 1 to 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, 1/2 cup pitted olives, halved cherry tomatoes, etc.
Instructions
- Add water and olive oil to the bread pan first. Add flour on top.
- Make a well in the flour. Place salt on one side and yeast on the opposite side.
- Select the Dough cycle and press start. (Most machines run 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50 minutes.)
- When the dough cycle finishes, generously oil a 9×13 baking pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil. Press the dough into the pan to fill the corners.
- Cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 45 to 90 minutes until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Once doubled, dimple the dough firmly with your fingertips, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Add any toppings.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden.
- Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- SAF instant yeast or bread machine yeast: 2 1/2 tsp (interchangeable 1:1).
- Active dry yeast: 3 tsp, dissolved in the water for 10 minutes before starting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve made this many times now. Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe. Many have bought bread machines. Love it
Wonderful!
I’ve been making this for a while now. It’s awesome. So simple and flavourful.
Glad you like it!
Is it posssible to use a special pizza & focaccia flour ?
Yes. This recipe works well with all purpose, bread or pizza flour. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I’ve been using my bread maker for a while now but this has been my favorite recipe so far! Yum!
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it!
Love it! My family and friends can’t get enough of it!!!!
This was so easy and so darn good! I’ve got a fancier recipe that is involved, very multi-day process involved and this was super close to it and 100 times easier. Let the bread machine do all the work, soaked the rising dough in olive oil, put more on top after dimpling, and away into the oven. I made two 9×9″ pans so I could freeze one, use the other and it was perfect. Will make again.
Wonderful! I’m right there with you. I’ve made more complicated recipes, but this one is so simple and gets the job done =)
Hi, thanks for the great recipe! Mine turned out great but the crust was a bit too brown so next time I will try a lower temp. The flavor was great. Thanks for showing us how to prep the dough in the bread maker as well. So much easier.
I’ve tried a few bread machine recipes for focaccia bread and this is the best and easiest recipe ever!
Holy smokes! I made this bread today in hopes of using it for sandwiches this week but we’ve already eaten it all! It’s so delicious and I can’t believe how simple it was to make. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!