Vegan Focaccia Bread is a very popular recipe in Italy and here in America too. This focaccia recipe has a wonderfully chewy texture too. Slice wide to use as a sandwich bread or use as a side to dunk.
Focaccia bread is very popular in Italy and you could even say a staple.
Its popularity has grown in other areas of the world by leaps and bounds in the last 20 years. You can even find it in specialty food stores.
It turns out that it's easy to make at home too. Focaccia bread has a wonderfully chewy texture that is just right to enjoy in so many ways.
I remember when I was first introduced to it. The flatbread was actually made into a sandwich.
Small slabs were made and then sliced through the center width-wise. It was filled with the best ingredients and I was hooked.
A slab was drizzled with an Italian type of salad dressing and then layered with roasted vegetables.
Very much like the photo of the picture I have further on down the page.
Since then I have had this focaccia recipe multiple different ways and you can too.
Jump to:
📖 How to serve focaccia
- Slice through the narrow center length-wise and use as a sandwich. If you fill a large loaf as in the photo below then you can cut the bread width- wise with 3" or 4" widths and serve many sandwiches.
- Break off chunks at the table to dunk in soups, stews and chilis.
- Slice in fingers as seen in many of these photos to serve as a side dish.
- Enjoy it as the base to vegan pizza. Just as you would use flatbread.
🥘 Ingredients
- Active Dry Yeast – is a leavening agent.
- Warm water - activates the yeast.
- Sea salt - in a tiny measurement adds seasoning.
- Extra virgin olive oil - to help the dough from drying out.
- Whole wheat pastry flour - makes a nutritional and delicious bread.
- Nutritional yeast - is for flavor not for rising.
- Fresh oregano - adds some seasoning and beauty to the loaf and is sprinkled on top. You can use rosemary too.
Here's a picture of the roasted vegetable sandwich I was talking about up above. See what I mean if you make the slabs smaller.
You'd get many wide 'rolls' to slice and fill with your favorite sandwich ingredients.
I just thought of another way to enjoy this vegan focaccia bread. Slice in thin slices and serve it as an appetizer to dunk into marinara sauce, pizza sauce or vegan ranch dressing.
This is the traditional olive oil and salt focaccia bread recipe and now you can make it at home.
I hope you try it because it is really not hard at all. It makes me so happy and I think it will you too.
🔪 Instructions
- Lightly grease a 10" x 15" baking sheet with olive oil.
- Lightly oil a medium to large bowl for your dough to rise after kneading. Set aside.
- Have the warm water in a bowl and make sure that it is the correct temperature. You can zap it in the microwave again and 'take it's temperature'.
- When the water is at 100° to 110° pour in the yeast.
- Stir and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
- Put the flour and nutritional yeast in a large bowl - not the oiled one.
- Add salt and oil to the yeast mixture and stir.
- Add to the bowl of flour.
- Stir and then dump on a lightly floured cool board or counter.
- Knead about 5 to 10 times until the dough is elastic. You will need to add extra flour as you knead until it is not TOO sticky. You will be able to remove your hand without dough left on your fingers and palms.
- Form into a ball.
- Place in your oiled bowl and turn the dough to get oil on all sides.
- Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 45 min. to 1 hour until it doubles.
- Remove the dough and knead 2 to 3 times to remove the air.
- Lay the ball on the prepared baking pan and push the dough close to the corners with your fingers.
- Cover and let rise another hour.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons olive oil over the bread and smooth around.
- Dimple the bread lightly with your fingertips. You don't want to lose it's 'rise'.
- Sprinkle on the oregano and just a pinch more of sea salt.
- Bake at 425° for 20 minutes.
- Let cool a bit and then remove to a cooling rack.
🍞 Easy bread recipes
- If you'd like a simple sandwich bread that is perfect for slicing and needs no kneading then this Simple Batter Bread is for you.
- Dill Bread is a favorite and you can slice it or break off big chunks.
💭 How to freeze
- This loaf or slices can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or frozen for about 6 months.
- FREEZING:
- After the focaccia has cooled you may freeze it as a whole loaf or in slices in a freezer bag or hard-sided freezer-safe glass container.
- DEFROSTING:
- It will defrost quickly so it really doesn't take any planning.
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If you take a photo of your amazing vegan focaccia bread as a side or as a sandwich bread I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.
Your opinion means a lot to me and if you'd like to leave a comment and possibly a star rating I'd love to hear your thoughts.
📋 Recipe
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast - from a jar or 1 packet
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, 100-110°
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast (this is if you are vegan and want to add the extra protein & nutrients, it is not for leavening)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano but preferably fresh oregano, 1/8 cup chopped
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 10" x 15" baking sheet with olive oil.
- Lightly oil a medium to large bowl for your dough to rise after kneading. Set aside.
- Have the warm water in a bowl and make sure that it is the correct temperature. You can zap it in the microwave again and 'take it's temperature'.
- When the water is at 100° to 110° pour in the yeast.
- Stir and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
- Put the flour and nutritional yeast in a large bowl - not the oiled one.
- Add salt and oil to the yeast mixture and stir.
- Add to the bowl of flour.
- Stir and then dump on a lightly floured cool board or counter.
- Knead about 5 to 10 times until the dough is elastic. You will need to add extra flour as you knead until it is not TOO sticky. You will be able to remove your hand without dough left on your fingers and palms.
- Form into a ball.
- Place in your oiled bowl and turn the dough to get oil on all sides.
- Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 45 min. to 1 hour until it doubles.
- Remove the dough and knead 2 to 3 times to remove the air.
- Lay the ball on the prepared baking pan and push the dough close to the corners with your fingers.
- Cover and let rise another hour.
- Sprinkle 3 Tablespoons olive oil over the bread and smooth around.
- Dimple the bread lightly with your fingertips. You don't want to lose it's 'rise'.
- Sprinkle on the oregano and just a pinch more of sea salt..
- Bake at 425° for 20 minutes.
- Let cool a bit and then remove to a rack.
Notes
- Can you freeze focaccia?
- This loaf or slices can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or frozen for about 6 months.
- FREEZING:
- After the focaccia has cooled you may freeze it as a whole loaf or in slices in a freezer bag or hard sided freezer safe glass container.
- DEFROSTING:
- It will defrost quickly so it really doesn't take any planning.
Nutrition
Heidy M
I feel in love with this Focaccia Bread when I made it the other day and have decided to make another batch to freeze for another day. Great recipe!
Chandice Probst
Oh my goodness, perfect focaccia every time! Love how easy to follow it is too thanks so much!
Paige
This looks amazing! It really does...and I love it for sandwiches too!
Tatiana
I'm always baking focaccia for the weekend, is so good to have as a snack! Can't wait to try your recipe, bookmarked for this Saturday!
Dana
This is one of my favorite types of bread! The herbs on this bread are making me want to make it right now. This looks perfect.
Marta
I love how crisp the focaccia crust gets because of the olive oil! So excited about this recipe!
Ben
I love focaccia! I will literally eat it with anything. This looks great.
Amanda
This is truly a perfect focaccia bread recipe! The texture has just the right chew, and it's delicious on the side of just about any dinner.
Ginny McMeans
I don't see why not Brittany. The cook time would be a little different so keep your eye on them.
Brittany
could this be made into individual rolls?
Ginny McMeans
You Ainoa. You can use whole wheat flour.
Ainoa
What type of flour is that? Could I use the current whole flour one?
Kavita Favelle | Kavey Eats
I do love focaccia with herbs, such a delicious bread, and not too difficult to make, which is great.
Claire Jessiman
Love Focaccia, this looks so chewy and perfect. I can imagine the gorgeous aroma of it baking. Yummy!
Jillian
These look fabulous!
Allison - Celebrating Sweets
I've never made focaccia. This looks great!
Luci's Morsels
This looks absolutely delicious! This would make a great appetizer and I love that it's vegan too.
Ginny McMeans
Yes! That is right Brittany. I am so sorry about that. I switched 'recipes card' plugins and it messed up how some of my measurements were laid out. I thought I got them all but obviously not. It is now fixed and thanks so much for the heads up.
Brittany Roche
Yay, focaccia! Love how you include freezer instructions on all your recipes too. ???
I'm making this right now and have a question: Is the first ingredient supposed to read "1 packet of Active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp from a jar"?
I hope so because that's what I did! Lol.
Thanks!
Ginny McMeans
Hi Renie, no you do not have to add it. It is just a little extra for added protein.
Renie
Hello love to try it but do i have to add the nutritional Yeast?? Thank you!
Ginny McMeans
Absolutely! If their recipes call for specific pans then I would use them. This recipe is wonderful on a baking pan. You don't need a pizza stone to make fantastic pizza either.
Van @ The Taste Lab
I've found a few focaccia recipes recently but they all use a stone or cast iron pan for baking. A typical baking pan will work just as well?
megan
Yum! I looove focaccia - will def try this soon!
Ginny McMeans
That is great and Thank you so much Peter!
Ginny McMeans
That is sounding so good. Thanks Susan!
Ginny McMeans
I think you will be very happy you did. Thanks Julia!
Peter @Feed Your Soul Too
We love focaccia in my family. This looks great.
Susan
Just beautiful! Pass me some olive oil and a loaf and I'll be happy.
julia
I have never made my own focaccia but this looks so wonderful! I think I need to try it out.
Ginny McMeans
You are very welcome - and they are! 🙂
The Peace Patch
Focaccia sandwiches sound just crazy yumful...thanks so much for sharing the recipe! 🙂