Big and Bubbly Focaccia

Big and Bubbly Focaccia

Recipe by King Arthur Test Kitchen
91 Reviews 4.9 out of 5 stars
King Arthur Recipe of the Year

With its bubbly, bronzed top, crisp edges, and tender, airy interior, our 2025 Recipe of the Year is the focaccia of the moment: It’s lofty but light, strikingly tall, and the perfect size for the dinner table. Inspired by Martin Philip's focaccia in our Big Book of Bread, this recipe relies on a largely hands-off folding method and all-purpose flour to provide the dough with the strength it needs to rise high while maintaining a tender interior. Removing the finished bread from the pan and briefly returning it to the oven after the bake ensures that every side is golden brown and perfectly crisp. Of all the focaccia recipes out there, this is the one to return to again and again. 

Prep
25 mins
Bake
15 to 18 mins
Total
3 hrs 40 mins
Yield
one 9" square focaccia
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Instructions

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  1. To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl (a 3-quart bowl with a lid works great), whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. 

  2. Add the water and olive oil and stir — with a spatula, bowl scraper, dough whisk, or your hands — until the mixture is thoroughly combined and homogeneous; there should be no dry patches or lumps. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 15 minutes. 

  3. Perform the first bowl fold: Use a wet hand to grab a section of dough from one side of the bowl, then lift it up and press it into the center. Repeat this motion, grabbing a new section of dough each time, until you've made a full circle around the bowl, about 8 to 12 times. Once you’ve circled the bowl, flip the dough over in the bowl so that the smooth side is up; the first bowl fold is now complete. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. 

    Note: You’ll be doing this 3 more times over the next 45 minutes, each time further developing the dough’s strength.  

  4. Repeat the bowl fold for a second time. (Remember to use a wet hand to prevent the dough from sticking!) At this point, the dough should feel smoother and tighter. Cover the bowl and let the dough to rest for 15 minutes.  

  5. Repeat the bowl fold for a third time. Cover the bowl and let the dough to rest for 15 minutes.

  6. Repeat the bowl fold for a fourth and final time; the dough should feel relatively strong. 

  7. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at a warm room temperature (70°F to 75°F) for 1 hour; see this post, Where to put dough to rise, for tips. After 1 hour, the dough should have nearly doubled in size and will be very puffy; it may even have a few bubbles on the surface.

  8. To prepare the pan: Once the dough has risen, spray the bottom and sides of a 9" square Fabulous Focaccia Pan with nonstick spray. (See “tips,” below for details about this pan as well as alternate pan options.) Cut a 3"-wide strip of parchment that's about 16" long. Lay the strip across the center of the pan, leaving a few inches of overhang on 2 sides; press it firmly into the pan and crease the parchment where it meets the sides of the pan to help it stay in place. (The parchment tabs will help you remove the focaccia from the pan later on.) 

  9. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray, then add 1 tablespoon (13g) of the olive oil and tilt the pan to spread the oil evenly across the bottom.

  10. Use a bowl scraper or flexible spatula to gently transfer the risen dough to the center of the pan. Using your hand as paddles (and a bowl scraper for assistance, if you need it) swiftly but gently flip the dough over so that it’s coated in oil; try to handle the dough minimally to keep it from deflating.

  11. Cover the pan and let the dough rise at a warm room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it’s marshmallowy and jiggly; the dough should nearly fill the corners of the pan and be very close to the top edge.

  12. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 475°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds.

  13. Once the dough has risen, lightly coat your fingers in oil. Starting at one edge, press your fingertips into the dough until they reach the bottom of the pan, creating dimples. Repeat this process, working your way from one edge to the other, spacing the dimples about 1 1/2" apart. The goal is to thoroughly dimple the dough without deflating it — aim for decisive yet gentle motions. If there are any large untouched areas of the dough, add additional dimples using one finger.

  14. To top the dough: Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon (13g) olive oil all over the surface of the dough; it’s OK if it pools in some dimples. Sprinkle evenly with flaky salt (use 1 generously rounded teaspoon Cyprus Flake Salt or 1/2 teaspoon Maldon).

  15. Bake the focaccia on the lower rack for 15 to 18 minutes, until brown in the highest spots and golden in the crevices. If necessary, move the pan to the top rack and broil briefly for the final 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully, to achieve the desired color.

  16. Remove the focaccia from the oven. Using the parchment tabs as handles, lift the focaccia out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack or cutting board; remove the parchment strip. Turn off the oven and slide the focaccia back into the oven, directly on the lower rack, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sides are golden brown and crisp. Remove the focaccia from the oven once again and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. 

  17. Storage information: Focaccia is best enjoyed the day it's made. If storing leftovers, wrap the focaccia loosely in foil, keep it at room temperature, and reheat before serving.

Tips from our Bakers

  • The temperature of your ingredients and rising environment will impact how long it takes for your dough to rise. In warmer months (or when your indoor temperature is 70°F to 75°F), the liquid should be 90°F to 100°F. In cooler months (or when your indoor temperature is around 65°F), use 100°F to 110°F liquid. The desired dough temperature after mixing (step 2) should be between 82°F and 86°F; if it’s outside of this range, your dough may rise on a different timeline. See this blog post about where to put dough to rise for troubleshooting tips. 

  • The Fabulous Focaccia Pan is ideal for this recipe. Made of black anodized aluminum, it has a dark, non-reactive, stick-resistant coating that makes for the crispest, brownest, best-rising focaccia. Other 9" metal pans will also work, but skip 8" pans (it's too much dough) or glass pans of any size (glass doesn't conduct heat as well as metal and will result in uneven baking and pale, soft sides).

  • If you don’t have a 9" square pan: You can bake the focaccia in a 10" cast-iron skillet, a 9" x 13" metal pan, or a quarter-sheet pan. The focaccia will be slightly taller in the 10" cast iron skillet and thinner in a 9" x 13" pan or quarter-sheet pan. (The dough won’t reach the corners of the larger pans; that’s OK.)  

  • To make the dough ahead: Prepare the recipe through step 6 (completing the 4 bowl folds), then cover the bowl and transfer it to the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours (overnight works well). Proceed with the recipe as written, transferring the cold dough to the prepared pan. Let the dough rise, covered, in the pan at a warm room temperature until it nearly reaches the corners and is very close to the top edge, 2 to 3 hours. 

  • To amp up the flavor of this focaccia: Replace the olive oil in the dough, pan, and topping with Garlic Oil and/or sprinkle the dough with up to 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence when you add the salt (step 14). 

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