Rosemary Focaccia Bread with Dipping Oil

Wedges of hot rosemary focaccia bread accompanied by a luscious olive oil and balsamic dip was a staple of our longtime favorite Italian restaurant, always brought to the table first thing, free of charge. But last time we visited…no bread! Suddenly it’s on the menu as a paid item. No surprise, restaurants all over the country are struggling to survive but my disappointment just gave me the nudge to make own hot crusty batch of focaccia so we can dip and crunch to our heart’s delight any night of the week. (Fyi a loaf of focaccia made with good olive oil costs about a dollar to make.)

I make a lot of focaccia bread, but my recipes usually feature various toppings like Cherry Tomato Focaccia or Apple, Cheddar, and Fig Focaccia. When I make focaccia specifically for dipping, I like to keep it super simple so the focus is all on the hot crusty bread mixing with the luscious oil and balsamic vinegar dip. With rosemary focaccia the piney fresh herb adds just enough interest without taking over.

rosemary focaccia with dipping oil ingredients

the bread

• all purpose flour
  • some recipes for focaccia bread call for bread flour, and you can use that as well. Using bread flour in focaccia yields a chewier texture and better rise due to its higher protein content, while all-purpose flour may result in a softer texture and less pronounced rise. Both flours create tasty focaccia.
• yeast
  • I use rapid rise or instant yeast which is formulated to work more quickly, shortening the fermentation process which is helpful in a quick bread like focaccia that only rises once.
• olive oil
  • plenty of olive oil, both in the dough and on top of the bread is part of the flavorful charm of focaccia. Use what you like, but extra virgin gives the best flavor. As I mention above, your loaf of focaccia will set you back about a buck, so splurge on the oil!
• fresh rosemary
  • fresh rosemary is a great way to add some interest to a plain focaccia.
• Italian seasoning
• finishing salt

the oil

• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• Italian seasoning

Baking rosemary focaccia

For dipping bread I like to bake it fairly slim so it’s easier to dip and eat. I bake it in a circle so I can cut wedges for the same reason. There’s nothing better than dunking the crispy tip of focaccia into luscious dipping oil.

1. Pat dough into a greased skillet, I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Focaccia dough tends to stick, so I like to line the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
2. Dip fingers in olive oil and make lots of oil filled dimples all over the dough. Be generous!
3. Sprinkle (also generously!) with coarse salt.
4. Bake until golden and crisp.

Your rosemary focaccia should pop out of your pan easily, and be ready to slice into wedges while still warm. Slice them thin or thick, depending on your appetite. For dipping I like 16 thin wedges.

There are many ways to bake focaccia, and most of my focaccia recipes are baked on a baking sheet: I just pat the dough out, freehand, on the oiled sheet. I like to use a cast iron skillet when I want a round loaf to slice into wedges for dipping. I use a 10″ cast iron skillet, but a 9″ would also work.

These are the same skillets I use to make so many recipes:

• The Easiest Peach Buckle Recipe!
• Steak Frites with Parmesan Butter
• Corned Beef Hash
• Apple Skillet Cake

my other focaccia recipes

Focaccia is a wonderful entry bread baking recipe if you’re not a regular baker. It’s easy to do, and the results are guaranteed. You’ll get a crispy flavorful loaf in under 2 hours!

• Rosemary and Olive No Knead Focaccia Bread
• Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
• Soft Pretzel Focaccia Bread
• Cherry Tomato Focaccia
• Sage Focaccia Bread
• Apple, Cheddar, and Fig Focaccia
• Meyer Lemon Focaccia Bread