Warm out of the oven, dipped in olive oil and salt, Focaccia is one of my favorite breads. This skillet focaccia variation has a crunchy crust and a layer of herbs hidden inside.

What is Focaccia?

Focaccia is a flat bread, very similar in makeup to pizza dough. It is generally made with a high gluten flour, and, unlike pizza, usually involves a longer two part rise.

You can use Focaccia for sandwiches, as a side dish, or appetizer. I love it dipped in seasoned olive oil, and my kids will eat it plain by the handful if I let them.

How is Focaccia made?

Generally, focaccia is made in a flat pan, and cooked at a high temperature for a very short time. I made this focaccia in a medium cast iron skillet that I preheated in the oven. I try to test most of my baking in skillets and Dutch Ovens so that when we are on the road tripping, camping, or staying in cabins I don’t need to think about much cookware. Pretty near everything I make can be cooked in one of those two.

This particular focaccia was a little more involved than I would typically make, with a layer of herbs tucked under the top crust. Totally worth the extra effort.

If you have tried my Skillet Focaccia recipe, or any other recipe on Real Life with Dad, please rate the recipe.  And be sure to follow us on FaceBook and Instagram @RealLifeWithDad

Yield: 1 loaf

Skillet Focaccia with Herbs

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Focaccia is one of my favorite breads. This skillet focaccia variation has a crunchy crust and a layer of herbs hidden inside.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Rise Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp Bread Flour
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Cups Bread Flour
• 1 tsp course salt
• 1 cup fresh herbs of your choice
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to coat dough)

Instructions

In a heavy bowl, mix water, yeast & 2 tsp flour. Let proof 5-10 minutes.

Add Olive Oil, Flour and salt, gently mix with a spoon. Dough will be very sticky, do not over flour or mix/knead aggressively.

Let dough rest 20 minutes in bowl, tightly covered.

On an unfloured surface press dough out flat and fold in half (you may need to scrape it free with a bench scraper for this). Repeat three times.

Return dough to bowl, cover tightly, and let rise 2 hours.

Remove 2/3 of the dough from the bowl, and on a lightly floured piece of parchment, form into a ball and roll out until it is approximately circular, and 1/2" thick.

With a brush, remove any loose flour from the top of the dough and coat with herbs, leaving space between them.

Roll out the remaining dough into a thin circle of the same diameter as the rest.

Place carefully on top of the main loaf, and roll gently to remove air bubbles. (I let the weight of the rolling pin do the work and only move it along the surface without pressing down at all.

Invert your bowl over the top and let rise 2 hours (if your bowl may touch the dough it is a good idea to rub a little oil on it so that it will not stick)

1 hour before baking, preheat your oven to 450 with a cast iron skillet with a lid on the middle shelf.

Using a brush, oil the surface of the dough generously.

Push down dimples over the surface of the dough, pushing your finger almost through to the bottom.

sprinkle salt over the top of the dough.

Transfer dough, still on parchment, onto the hot skillet and bake covered for 10 minutes.

Remove lid from skillet, and parchment from under dough.

bake and additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet w/Cast Iron Lid (12 Inch) - Cast Iron Frying Pan With Lid Set.
• 
  Ironwood Gourmet 28214 Napoli Pizza Peel, Acacia Wood
• 
  King Arthur, Special Bread Unbleached Flour, 5 lb

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g

For more cast iron bread ideas, give this a try!

simple wheat bread