This small batch focaccia recipe uses just one cup of flour (120 grams) to make a mini focaccia that bakes up golden brown and fluffy on top with a crispy bottom in a standard loaf pan.
This small batch focaccia recipe is perfect for when you want focaccia but don't want to use up 4-6 cups of flour satisfy that craving.
This mini loaf pan focaccia is the second entry in my "small batch recipes" series. You may also like my single cinnamon roll, or my small batch mini ciabatta and mini tahini carrot cake recipes, both of which also use just about a cup of flour.
It's the perfect size bread recipe for if you're single or live alone and are cooking only for yourself, or if you're cooking for you and just one other person.
It's also great if there are any ingredient shortages (say, due do an ongoing global pandemic) or if you just want to avoid using up all your best baking ingredients.
For a full size version of this recipe, check out my overnight focaccia. For a speedy full size focaccia, check out my 2-hour Ligurian focaccia.
Jump to:
- About This Mini Focaccia
- Ingredient Notes
- Instructions
- A Modified "Slap-n-Fold"
- Instant Yeast vs. Active Dry
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Tips
- Practical Tips & Recipe Notes
- Recipe FAQ
- BONUS: Weight to Volume (Cups) Conversion + Instructions
- Using the 2X/3X Buttons
- TL;DR - Recipe Summary
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
About This Mini Focaccia
This small batch focaccia recipe uses 120 grams of flour. That's just one cup — ONE CUP! — of flour. That's 120 grams of flour, which you should definitely measure by weight using a kitchen scale. But that's it!
And the final version of the recipe uses about 1 teaspoon instant yeast, which means one packet of yeast (2¼ tsp) can make two mini loaves of focaccia.
To develop gluten and give the focaccia strength and structure, this recipe uses a technique called folding to "knead" the dough.
To build strength and trap air bubbles in the dough, this recipe calls for folds every 15 minutes for 30 minutes (two sets of folds) which is extra nice because it's very hands off for you!
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need to make this mini loaf pan focaccia. No fancy or hard to find ingredients, and you can definitely get creative with your toppings! See recipe card (at the end of the post) for ingredient quantities!
- All purpose flour - Regular all purpose flour is just fine here. You can use bread flour, but you may need to adjust the amount of water or add more flour to get the dough to the right consistency.
- Water - Lukewarm or slightly warm water, but not hot water. If you use cooler or cold water the dough will take twice as long to rise.
- Sugar - Crucial for getting that beautifully golden brown focaccia crust and adds a nice flavor.
- Instant Yeast - I use instant (sometimes called "rapid rise") yeast. See notes below for adapting for active dry yeast.
- Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which is half as salty as other brands. If measuring by weight, it doesn't matter what brand of salt you use. But if you're measuring by volume (e.g. teaspoons) and using a different brand of salt, even a different brand of kosher salt, cut the amount of salt in half.
- Olive Oil - I like using a bold flavored olive oil for focaccia because it's such an olive oil-forward kind of bread and I want to enjoy that delicious EVOO flavor. You can definitely use flavored or infused olive oils here too.
Instructions
Mixing this small batch mini focaccia dough is very simple and doesn't require any fancy equipment other than a kitchen scale. If you have a bowl, a spatula, and at least one hand, you can mix this focaccia dough. Also, I believe in you. And you are capable of making great bread.
Start by combining the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour in the warm water, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it rest on the surface of the water for 30-60 seconds to hydrate slightly, then pour in the olive oil.
Mix with your hand or a spatula, slowly incorporating more flour in from the sides until you have a messy ball of dough in the middle of the bowl.
Fold the dough over itself a few times to start building some structure in the gluten network.
I usually switch to my hands at this point, but you can stick with a spatula or bowl scraper if that's easier.
It will be quite messy and sticky. That's normal; don't panic. Just get the dough in a loose ball shape. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
A Modified "Slap-n-Fold"
The "slap and fold" is a technique used to add structure and strength to bread doughs in place of kneading. It's particularly useful for very sticky, high-hydration doughs.
Usually it's done on a countertop, but because this mini focaccia recipe is so small, you'll be doing a modified mini version of the slap and fold in the bowl.
I've included video gifs below so you can watch how to do it yourself.
![[gif] slapping and folding focaccia dough](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Loaf-pan-focaccia-1.gif)
![[gif] slap and folding focaccia dough](https://thepracticalkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Loaf-pan-focaccia-2.gif)
The dough will get easier to fold each time as it builds strength and structure. Make sure you're rotating the dough 90 degrees between folds so that the gluten is being stretched in all directions.
As you repeat the folding and resting process, you're building a criss-crossed network of gluten inside the dough that will trap air bubbles and enable the dough to rise. If you only fold in one direction the dough won't have the strength it needs.
TIP: Don't overdo the folding — 4-6, maybe 8 slap-and-folds total is plenty. You don't want the dough to start tearing. (The current video for the recipe says 10-12 folds, you can disregard that!)
Here's what the dough looks like after folding during mixing, and then after the two sets of slap-and-folds in the bowl with rests in between.
The dough will get smoother and easier to handle with each set of folds.
TIP: If the dough is sticking to you, wet your hands with water or a tiny bit of oil. Not too much or you'll add too much water to the dough, but just enough to prevent sticking!
After you finish the last set of folds, transfer the dough into a greased and oiled loaf pan. The grease (non-stick spray) prevents sticking, while the drizzle of olive oil gives your mini focaccia a gorgeously crispy bottom.
Gently stretch the dough into a vagely rectagular shape. It likely won't fill the whole bottom of the pan yet, that's okay. Cover and let it rest somewhere warm (70-75F) for one hour.
After about an hour, the focaccia dough will have relaxed and expanded into the pan. It may not fill out all the corners, but it will have filled out a lot more of the pan.
Drizzle the dough with a little more olive oil, and rub some olive oil on your fingers too. Now, it's time for the most fun step of all: DIMPLING.
Press your fingers down into the dough until they touch the bottom of the pan. Spread your fingers slightly when you hit the bottom of the pan to push the dough into the corners. Repeat until the dough is dimpled across the surface.
Cover the loaf pan and let the focaccia rise for another 30-60 minutes in a warm spot. The dough will rise and bubble up in the pan. When the dough has doubled in size, it's ready to bake. Go by what it looks like, not the time on the clock.
Right before baking, drizzle one more glug of olive oil across the focaccia and add any herbs or finishing salts you want to use.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400F until golden brown on top. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn it out onto a sheet pan to finish cooling.
Instant Yeast vs. Active Dry
Instant and active dry yeast are the same thing — the difference is that active dry yeast granules have a tiny shell around them that needs to be dissolved before use.
Generally you can use the two fairly interchangeably, although active dry yeast can sometimes take a little longer to rise because that shell takes time to dissolve.
I encourage you to use instant yeast for this recipe to get the best results.
If you only have active dry yeast: Use 5 grams instead of 3 grams. Sprinkle it on top of the water, give it a stir, and then let it sit for 3-5 minutes instead of the 30 seconds the recipe calls for. This will help that shell dissolve before you start folding the dough and will allow the yeast to get to work faster.
Serving Suggestions
With a loaf this small, I usually either slice it into thin ~2" strips and eat it like a breadstick, dipping it in soup or as a side with spaghetti, but it's also a fantastic sandwich bread.
For sandwiches, you'll want to slice it across the middle so you have two square-shaped halves of the loaf. Then slice them in half, separating the dimpled top from the crispy bottom and fill them with your favorite sandwich toppings.
For crispy garlic breadsticks, slice the focaccia into thin strips, arrange on a lined sheet pan, and top with minced garlic (or garlic salt), dried basil and oregano, and grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 350F until the cheese melts and starts to brown. These are super tasty for dipping in tomato soup!
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan, 1 Pound
Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75. Durable construction with corrugated surface for optimal airflow. Non-stick finish is PTFE, PFOA and BPA free.
Storage Tips
Because of how oily and salty focaccia is, it's best eaten on the same day you make it. The salt draws moisture out of the bread, which means after 24 hours it becomes quite dry.
To revive day old focaccia, slice it thin and toast it in a skillet with a bit of butter. And if, somehow, you do have any leftovers from this mini focaccia, you can freeze it in an airtight bag.
Practical Tips & Recipe Notes
- MEASURE WITH A KITCHEN SCALE. I've written the recipe below using weight measurements in grams because when you're working with such small quantities, a little too much of one ingredient or a little less of another can radically change your outcome. So if you have a kitchen scale, you're definitely going to want to use it here. I did include volumetric measurements (cups, teaspoons) below because I find them useful just to have in mind as I'm measuring with the scale, but I don't encourage using them.
- I usually top this mini focaccia with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, but you can use any finishing salt you like. You can also top this with fresh herbs, veggies, or anything else you want (I've even done it as a mini version of my onion and pepper focaccia!). Just remember that the dough has to work harder to hold heavier toppings up, so if you're planning on using anything heavy (whole cherry tomatoes, etc.) less is more!
- If you ARE planning on using any heavier toppings — onions, tomatoes, etc — put them on the dough after dimpling but before the final rise. That way when the dough rises one last time, it rises around the toppings and secures them in place.
- I used a 9x4" (1 lb) loaf pan but you can use a 9x5" pan (1.5 lb) if that's all you have. Just know that the dough might not stretch out into all the corners in the larger pan.
Recipe FAQ
I haven't tested this, so can't say for sure. Using sourdough discard or alone won't work, however. It doesn't have enough rising power and the recipe hasn't been formulated for sourdough rising times. Using just active sourdough starter for rise would likely change all the timing of the stretching and folds and stuff.
If you do want to use sourdough and your sourdough is 100% hydration, you can try reducing the amount of flour and water the recipe calls for by 20 grams each and adding 40 grams sourdough discard to the dough. Then proceed as usual. You'll still need the instant yeast to give it rising power, but the sourdough will add flavor!
I haven't tried it, but a good rule of thumb for using Whole Wheat flour in any recipe is that you can replace up to 25% of the flour with WW flour. That would mean replacing 30 grams of the AP flour with WW flour. So you'd use 90g AP and 30g WW flour here. I wouldn't recommend using all whole wheat flour, because it's a much tougher flour that absorbs a lot more water — it's very rare that whole wheat recipes use entirely WW flour. You may also need to add a little bit more water or use very wet hands while you're doing the folding to make up for the fact that the whole wheat absorbs so much more liquid. If you give it a try, let me know!
This is because weighing baking ingredients is much more accurate that using volume (cup) measurements, especially for something as small as this mini focaccia! If your flour or water measurements are off by even 10 grams, your dough will behave much differently than it should and you won't get the same rise or texture as the recipe promises. I've included approximate volume measurements in the recipe card below to give you a sense of how much you need if you're not used to measuring by weight, but I really encourage you to use a kitchen scale if you have one.
Yes! You can actually skip the loaf pan in this case too. Drizzle olive oil on your toaster oven's sheet pan and plop the dough out there after the final set of folds. The focaccia may end up a little thinner and crispier as it will spread out into an oval shape rather than a perfect rectangle. It may also need a slightly shorter bake time, so check it after 15 minutes just in case.
I don't know, I haven't tested it! If you try it and it works please let me know by leaving a comment!
BONUS: Weight to Volume (Cups) Conversion + Instructions
I really resisted including volume measurements here, because measuring your ingredients with a kitchen scale is much more accurate and will give you the right ratio of dry and liquid ingredients so that the focaccia dough behaves the way you want it to.
I tested and developed this recipe using weight measurements for accuracy. I can't promise how it will turn out if you measure with cups because not all measuring cups are the same! That said, I am making a rare exception because of how popular this recipe is and providing them for you here. **Please read this carefully!!**
- To properly scoop flour in cups: Stir and fluff the flour in your container well so there's plenty of air in it. Use a spoon to gently spoon the flour into the one cup measure, then sweep any excess off the top. The cup should feel pretty light and the flour should not be tightly packed into it. Think of it more like a ⅞ths cup.
- To properly measure water: Use a liquid measuring cup. Place it on a flat surface, fill with water just until the water reaches the correct marker when you look at it at eye level.
- To properly measure with measuring spoons: Scoop dry ingredients flat, do not use heaping scoops. Olive oil should not overflow the rim of the measuring spoon.
Here are the mini focaccia volume measurements (use at your own risk):
- 1 scant cup all purpose flour, well aerated and properly scooped (see above)
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (use ½ teaspoon of any other brand of salt)
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
Troubleshooting: If the dough seems overly dry, use wet (instead of damp) hands to mix the dough to incorporate more water or add water ¼ teaspoon at a time until the dough looks right. If the dough seems overly wet and isn't developing strength as you fold it, very lightly dust in more flour as you do the folds.
If you measure with cups and the recipe did not turn out right, that is likely why the recipe did not turn out right. Try again!
Using the 2X/3X Buttons
If you use the 2X/3X buttons in the recipe card, they will ONLY adjust the weight measurement numbers to the left of the ingredients in the recipe card.
They will not change the volume measurements in parentheses to the right of the ingredients and they will not change any numbers or measurements provided in the recipe instructions. Make sure to make those adjustments on your own!
TL;DR - Recipe Summary
- Mix together flour, salt, and yeast.
- Pour the water into the dry ingredients. Bloom the yeast on top for 60 seconds.
- Add oil and mix the dough, folding it over itself several times to make a ball.
- Cover and bulk ferment for 30 minutes, with slap-n-folds every 15 minutes for a total of two sets of folds.
- After the second set of folds, transfer dough to a greased loaf pan. Cover and rise for 1 hour.
- Drizzle with oil, then dimple the dough. Let rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Drizzle with additional olive oil and add any toppings.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.
📖 Recipe
Loaf Pan Mini Focaccia
Equipment
- 9x5" Loaf pan (Or 8.5x4")
Ingredients
- 120 grams all-purpose flour
- 5 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
- 3 grams instant yeast
- 5 grams sugar
- 10 grams extra virgin olive oil
- 90 grams warm water
- additional oil for the pan and drizzling on top
- additional salt and/or herbs for topping
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt, and sugar, in a medium sized bowl and mix with your hand to evenly distribute. Make a well in the center and add warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and let bloom for 30-60 seconds. Add oil, then use a fork or small spatula to stir the liquid in the center, slowly incorporating flour from the sides of the bowl until a sticky dough forms.
- Switch to a bowl scraper or spatula and begin folding the dough over itself, rotating the bowl as you go until the dough is cohesive and no lumps or dry spots remain. The dough is very, very sticky at this point so do the best you can — just keep folding for about 30-60 seconds until the dough is somewhat in the shape of a ball.
- Cover the dough and let it rest 15 minutes.
- Then, with a damp hand, scoop the dough up, slap it down in the bowl and fold it over itself away from you. Repeat the folding process 4-6 times until the dough feels like it has tightened up slightly. Wet your hand as needed so the dough doesn't stick to you.Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. NOTE: This is a modified version of the "slap and fold" technique. When you scoop the dough up your fingertips should be curved under, pointing toward your body. When you pick the dough up, rotate your wrist so your thumb is up — almost like you're holding a cup. Then "slap" the dough on the near side of the bowl and fold it away from you. The idea is to rotate the dough 90 degrees between each fold so you're folding in both directions. This builds structure in the dough and you will feel it tightening up as you work.
- Repeat the folding process one last time (4-6 folds). The dough will still be pretty squishy and sticky, but should be smoother and have more structure to it than the earlier sets of folds. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, then drizzle in approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer the dough from the bowl to the pan, using oiled fingers to gently stretch the dough into a loose rectangle shape. It won't reach the edges of the pan yet. Cover and let rise at room temperature (70°-75°F) 1 hour.
- After an hour, the dough should have increased slightly in size and will have filled out more of the pan. Oil your fingers and dimple and stretch the dough into all the corners of the pan. Press your fingers down into the dough until they hit the bottom of the pan, then spread them out. It's okay if you tear the dough in a few places.Cover, and let rise for another 30 minutes until the dough is airy and bubbly and has filled in the bottom of the pan.
- During the final 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. If your loaf seems to be rising slowly, place the loaf pan on top of the preheating oven so the yeast benefits from the residual heat.
- Right before placing it in the oven, drizzle on a little more olive oil and sprinkle the surface of the dough with flaky salt, herbs, or any toppings of your choosing, and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top. If after 20 minutes it's still looking pale, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen the dough and turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
RECIPE NOTES
- For best success with this recipe you must use a kitchen scale. I can't make any promises for how well it will turn out if you measure the flour using cups. A scant 1 cup of flour will be more like ⅞ cup. Stir the flour well in the container, then scoop it loosely into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to sweep any excess off the top. The cup will not seem full. If your dough looks dense or dry or isn't wet like mine is in the video or photos, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time during the first mixing step until it looks right.
- If using ACTIVE DRY instead of INSTANT yeast, increase yeast to 5 grams.
- If measuring by volume and not using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, use half the amount by volume.
YOUR NOTES
UPDATE 4/12/21 — A huge thanks to my volunteer recipe testers Beth, Sarah, Lisa, Cecile, Kelly, Rachel, and Christine who gave this a try after someone commented that the dough was "impossible to handle." They gave me some great feedback and sent so many gorgeous photos of their own focaccia loaves.
Amrita
Hi !! Can I use whole wheat flour for the recipe?
Rebecca
I haven't tried it, but a good rule of thumb for using WW flour in any recipe is that you can replace up to 25% of the flour with WW flour. That would mean replacing 30 grams of the AP flour with WW flour. So you'd use 90g AP and 30g WW flour here. I wouldn't recommend using all whole wheat flour, because it's a much tougher flour that absorbs a lot more water — it's very rare that whole wheat recipes use entirely WW flour. You may also need to add a little bit more water or use wet hands while you're doing the folding to make up for the fact that the whole wheat absorbs so much more liquid. If you give it a try, let me know! Curious to know how it works out!
Sarah
Could the yeast be replaced with sourdough starter? If so, how much?
Rebecca Eisenberg
This has already been answered in the recipe FAQ!
April
Can I use traditional active yeast?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I have a whole section in the blog post titled "Instant Yeast vs. Active Dry" that answers this question in detail!
Cady
I have a bad habit of not fully reading all the details and wanted to get straight into the bread, I did it with half whole wheat and half AP, full cup flour total but added more water til it felt like the sticky dough described. Turned out amazing I am making it today again for family!
Juliana
Made this the other day and it was so easy and delicious!! It was a prefect size for my hubby, 18 month old, and myself. I'll definitely be making it again <3
Amy
Hi I know this is going to sound crazy but is there something else I can use instead of yeast? I’m allergic to it 🙈
Rebecca Eisenberg
Unfortunately no! It’s necessary for the rise. You’d end up with flatbread otherwise. I’m so sorry.
Kris Kerby
Mine just came out of the oven. It is delicious! It’s airy and chewy and it was easy. I will definitely make it again!!
Charline
My dough didn’t rise as high as I would have hoped because my home was colder than I thought. I went through the whole process and it came out wonderfully.
I like that it was a small batch because it is only me. I will definitely do this more often.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Ah yep, it's likely because of the temperature in your house! Next time you can let it rise a bit longer if you like. The other possibility is that actually overproofed slightly (this will cause the loaf to collapse). So you may need to play with the timing of the final rise to figure out exactly when to put it in the oven based on the temperature in your kitchen! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Charlie
I am always looking for SMALL recipes - I live alone and just don't fancy a whole loaf or a dozen cakes.
marie stanley
This baked up perfectly. It is tender and just yeasty tasting enough . Thank you a billionty times ; i have bought my last delivery pizza.
Rebecca
Yum!!! I'm so glad to hear that. 🙂 Looks great, thank you for sharing a pic!!
Maggie Griffin
Love this scaled-back recipe! I don't normally attempt to bake bread, but this is one I am ready to try! Thank you.
Rebecca
You got this!!!
Adrian
Idk what I did wrong?! I followed the measurements and the recipe to a T and I know something was wrong when I was flipping it and it didn't turn out pretty like yours. It never rose. I'll try again. I really want this to work!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Hi! There are a two things that may have caused this: 1) your yeast may not have been active 2) you measured with cups instead of by weight. When you try again make sure you're using a new packet of yeast and that you use a kitchen scale to measure! And make sure the water isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast. Good luck!!!
Deb
Excellent. Crispy on the outside and tender on inside. Perfect size.
Rebecca
Enjoy the bread!!!
Sweet
the dough was just too sticky to work with.. I've tried spraying oil on it and watering my hands but it's just unworkable what a shame
Rebecca
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you! There’s a couple reasons you may have had this issue: 1) Did you measure using a scale? 2) And with the updated recipe the dough is much wetter and sticker — you’re not going to be able to pick it up and fold it in your hands the way I do in the videos (I’m working on updating the videos!). You can use a bowl scraper to fold the dough over itself in the bowl without picking it up. Also, you’re not supposed to spray oil on the dough — just rub a little bit of oil on your hands. If you sprayed oil on the dough that definitely would’ve made it harder to fold.
Marc
I made this recipe in a 9x5 loaf pan. I topped it with rosemary and flaky sea salt. It came out perfect! I also tripled this recipe and divided it between two 9” circle pans. I topped those the same way, and baked for the same amount of time. They also came out amazing! This will be a recipe I make often.
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad you enjoyed it!
Samantha Eliott
came out super delicious but a bit salty? realized i should have cut down on the salt! but nevertheless it came out pretty good for my first time.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Ahhh yeah gotta watch the salt! Especially on top, it’s easy to overdo by mistake.
Rebecca
Hi there! I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you. I’ve updated the entire recipe in response to your comment with clearer instructions and all new videos that should make it easier to handle the wet dough. I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but if you do I hope you’ll give it another chance.
Christine K
Just made the bread this morning and the smell of it baking it woke my teenager up. It lives up to the beautiful scent. crispy but not hard on the bottom crust fluffy inside. Might eat a loaf for my lunch. Putting the olive oil in the bottom and not skimping gives a delicious flavor. Made one with Herbes de Provence + salt and one with just salt. Both yummy.
K South
This recipe is so cool if you just want enough fresh focaccia for one or two people (and looks so impressive for what's very little effort)
Cecile
Loved this recipe! Can't wait to make pizza with it! The dough is a little sticky at first but after the folding and resting it behaves itself😉
Rebecca
Omg I love the idea of making pizza with this! Let me know how it goes!
Jenna
Can I mix any add ins to the dough such as cheese or will that ruin this specific recipe?
Rebecca Eisenberg
You can add mix ins! Just try not to overwhelm the recipe. If you check out my onion + pepper focaccia recipe I have notes there for how to use this recipe to make a mini version of it. That may give you an idea of where to start!
Lauren
Can I use a food processor to do the dough?
Rebecca Eisenberg
I haven’t tested this. You could certainly try it. But I can’t vouch for how it will turn out.
Beth
This bread came out absolutely delicious. As Rebecca says the dough is sticky and definitely different from other bread doughs I have made before. I found that following the slap and fold method and heavy use of a bowl scraper the first two rises helped a lot. Perfect amount of bread for a family dinner.
Skljh
This recipe makes a delightful focaccia with a lovely texture! It's fast and relatively easy, with a lot of down time in-between actively doing something, making fresh bread with dinner a snap.
Maartje
10/10, made it in my toaster oven. Worked perfectly. I put tomatoes and olives on there and dipped it in tomato soup :0
Deb
Still loving the recipe. The instructions have improved, I seemed to get a wee bit lost each time I’ve made it. I make it at least once a week.
I cut the salt back to 1/2 t. of Diamond Crystal as we both thought it was a tad salty.
Kathi
This is a great recipe but I almost skipped over it because I didn’t have any mini loaf pans. It is really a mini Focaccia made in a loaf pan…or Loaf pan mini focaccia. Word order matters😄. Thanks for your hard work!,
Rebecca Eisenberg
In this case "mini" and "loaf pan" are both being used as adjectives to modify the noun "focaccia." It is a mini focaccia and it is also a loaf pan focaccia. Glad you enjoyed it.
Jules
SO good, and just enough for a couple of sandwiches!
Wayne McAuliffe
I used a 6” cast iron pan and made one with herbes de provence and kosher salt on top. It was amazing!
Cynthia
Hiii, I wanted to ask if i could use sourdough discard instead of yeast? If so, how much do i use?
Rebecca
I haven't tested this, so can't say for sure. Using discard alone won't work, however. It doesn't have enough rising power. You'd need to use active sourdough starter and it would likely change all the timing of the stretching and folds and stuff. If you do want to use sourdough discard and your sourdough is 100% hydration, you can try reducing the amount of flour and water the recipe calls for by 10 grams each and adding 20 grams sourdough discard to the dough. Then proceed as usual. You'll still need the yeast to give it rising power, but the sourdough discard will add flavor!
Carrie Wylde
Hey! Great idea to bake a small batch! Last time I made focaccia my husband and I ate it for 3 straight days 😂 question: I only have a silicone loaf pan. Is that ok or should it be a metal one?
Rebecca
Metal would be best to get that really crispy bottom! It conducts heat differently from silicone pans. The silicone pans are meant more for mousses and gelatin and ice cream based desserts that need to set up in the fridge. They’re not really ideal for baking.
But if you like the way the focaccia turned out in the silicone pan, that’s okay too.
Mary
This was so easy and absolutely delicious!!
Luca
I was a bit sceptical at first, but once it got out of the oven, I immediately tried it and I was absolutely amazed by how light and fluffy, yet still crunchy it was! Definitely gonna do this more often!
Luca
Forgot to add stars - 5 Stars!!
Rebecca
Added them for you!! Thank you!
Rebecca
So glad you loved it!! Enjoy!
Tiffany
Had anyone tried making it gluten free?
Rebecca
Yes, actually! I haven't personally tried it, but a few people have told me they've had it work out well using King Arthur Baking Company or Bob's Red Mill GF cup-for-cup flour. If you give it a try, let me know how it works for you!
Hugh Goggins
This was a perfect recipe for getting out of my phase of being too depressed to use the kitchen. The result was delicious. My loaf could have risen a bit more, but I'm certain it was because I should have used a newer packet of instant yeast.
Rebecca
So glad you liked the recipe!
nicole
I loved it--I like recipes that are scaled for one person as opposed to a family of 6. It's a great size for a sandwich, too. I will definitely make it again and slice it long ways, toast it, and add grilled/roasted veggies for a sandwich.
Rebecca
MMmmmm roasted veggie and focaccia sandwich.
Bridget
Delicious … yeast breads have always scared me away but this is simple enough for a novice like me to be successful. Question: while my 1st attempt tasted delicious, it did not rise enough to create a light airy interior as expected based on your description. It was pretty dense. Any suggestions for what I might do differently next time?
Rebecca
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It's hard to say what would've caused the denseness without knowing exactly what you did. There's a chance your yeast wasn't as active as it could've been (either you used old yeast, or your water was too hot), or it's possible your kitchen runs cold and the yeast activity was a bit slower (if so, you could always let it rise longer until it fills out more of the pan). On the other hand it's possible you let it sit too long and it overproofed, which would mean when you went to dimple it, the dough kind of collapsed and deflated quickly. I would say next time make sure you *know* you have new yeast, pay attention to those temperatures, and instead of following all of the specific rise times, consider them to be more of a guide and simply assess the dough to see if it looks the way it should (e.g. has filled out most of the pan, has almost doubled in size, etc) before moving on to the next step. Good luck!
Bridget
Attempt #2 … i still did not get the proper rise. I double checked everything: brand new rapid rise yeast (exp 8/2023), weighed all ingredients with a scale, water temp was 104 deg Fahrenheit, kitchen temp was a steady 77 degrees, etc. A couple of thoughts - the dough is simply too wet and sticky to do the slap and fold technique. So I’m guessing I am not developing the gluten enough. I do live in Florida where, even with good a/c, a home can be a bit humid. Would adding a bit more flour help? If so, any advice on how much? I will also get a bowl scraper to see if that helps … as indicated in previous comments. The bread just tastes so darn good and is so simple to make I really want to try and master it.
Rebecca
Aha! Florida humidity would probably be the culprit here. Rather than increasing the flour I would say hold back a tablespoon (15g) water when you first mix the dough. You could hold back as much as 30g and then just add water as needed when you dip your hands in water for the folding to prevent sticking. My guess is that the humidity + additional water on your hands for folding is what’s causing the issue! Let me know how it turns out this time!
Emily O
Made this once already and trying it again. Tastes great, but I think I’m doing something wrong. There doesn’t seem to be enough water to even incorporate all the water, much less be a sloppy/sticky dough. Any thoughts?
Rebecca
When you're working with such small quantities precision is super important — it's hard to know what went wrong without knowing *exactly* what you did. This should be a very wet dough so I would guess you're measuring something incorrectly. Are you using a kitchen scale?
Barbara
Made this today (first time making focaccia of any type). Well-written, easy to follow recipe. Turned out delish if I do say so myself.! I'm often cooking for 1 so this recipe will be on repeat!
Laura
Love this recipe! So simple! I hated waiting but it was worth it! I added sun dried tomatoes, parsley, and parm on top so good!!!
Anna
I am really excited to try this recipe! Normally this would be plenty for my spouse and me. But we sometimes have friends or family over for dinner, which got me wondering- Has anyone tried making a double batch, and if so, did you bake in two loaf pans, or one larger pan?
(Rating recipe a 5 based on how well-written, detailed, and updated it is, although I haven’t tried it yet)
Rebecca Eisenberg
Hi! You can definitely double it and bake it in an 8x8 square baking dish or in two loaf pans. Both will work!
Rachel
This is the recipe I have been looking for. I didn't quite get the rise on it that I needed so it was a little flat but that was due to me figuring the time wrong to have it done for lunch. Even with it flat, I could slice it up and make sandwiches and wanted to steal my husband's half after finishing mine. I used garlic olive oil and a bit of grated parmesan on top and it was amazing. Thank you for this small batch recipe which is perfect. Will definitely be adding it to my recipe box.
Leah
I made this exactly as instructed. It’s delicious! My only problem was mine doesn’t look as tall as yours does in the picture. Looks about half that size.
Rebecca Eisenberg
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It sounds like your focaccia may have overproofed slightly. If your kitchen is warm, you don't need to put it on the stove to finish rising after you dimple it. Or you might be able to bake it much sooner after dimpling it!
Missy
This is literally the best and easiest bread recipe I’ve ever tried! I followed the instructions and it turned out perfectly - better than any bread recipe I’ve ever tried. As someone who lives alone, it’s the perfect amount for me. This is definitely going to be my go to and I’ve been telling all my family/friends to try it! Also, amazing that you do your recipes in grams. I hate baking recipes with cup measurements lol!
Jessica S.
This is a great recipe and turned out very well. I doubled it and used an 8"x8" pan instead. I also added sliced garlic and rosemary to the top. Thanks!
Maya
I made this for the first time last night and knew immediately that i needed to make again today to have with our dinner leftovers for lunch. Great recipe-easy to follow, minimal hands on time/equipment needed and delicious results! Will be adding this to my regular meal rotation!
Angela
I love this recipe!! New to bread baking and it was not intimidating at all. Is there a way I can make the dough ahead of time and bake the next day? I love it fresh and want to gift to people but not sure how to go about this since it takes time.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Amazing!!! Focaccia is hard to give as a gift since it has a fairly short shelf life. You could definitely make the dough ahead and let it proof in the pans in the fridge overnight. You'd want to take it out of the fridge maybe 30-60 minutes before baking to let it come to room temp and do the dimpling then.
Megan
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a baker at all! I made this bread because I was craving some salty foods and we had some instant yeast in the house. Game changer. This bread was so easy to make and turned out so perfectly even with my clumsy baking skills. As I write this comment, my overnight focaccia is resting and awaiting baking in the morning. Highly recommend this recipe. I put coarse salt, rosemary, and thyme on top and dipped it in tzatziki. *chefs kiss*
Lisa
I’m going to try this with almond flour!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Almond flour won't work here! Almond flour is just finely ground almonds, there's nothing in it to support the necessary gluten formation to create the strength and structure of a loaf of bread.
Kristen
Delicious and so simple!! So glad I came across this recipe. I made it 3 times in 3 days when I first found it. Perfect with a bowl of soup!
Maryann A
This was my first time making Focaccia and this recipe was easy to follow with clear instructions! I’ll definitely be making more.
Erin
This recipe is amazing. I followed it as faithful as possible and the results are delicious. Thank you!
Noah Hines
AMAZING. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9x5 loaf pan, topped with garlic salt. Came out perfect. Super crispy outside, ridiculously soft and fluffy inside. Will definitely be making again…and again….and again…
Meagan R.
My dough actually turned out quite dry, what did I do wrong? I used all the right measurements!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Did you use the weight measurements or the estimated volume measurements?
Kelly
Absolutely delicious and came out perfect!! My boyfriend and I couldn’t stop eating it!
Max
I used cups instead of weighing, and the dough started to get quite dry, how can i make it better next time? - amazing recipe and bread by the way 🙂
Rebecca Eisenberg
This is exactly why measuring by weight is the best way to go. A cup of flour scooped can have up to 160 grams of flour in it, when this recipe only calls for 120 grams of flour. To make it better next time the number one best thing to do is to get a kitchen scale. If you absolutely can't do that, then you need to just add more water until the dough feels right. Or you need to scoop slightly less than 1 cup of flour (a "scant" cup of aerated flour). Stir and fluff the flour in the container well, then use a spoon to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and use a straight edge (back of a knife) to swipe any excess flour off the top. It should be very loose and light in the measuring cup. Good luck!
joe
this worked really well. focaccia was a little daunting cause i’d tried it once before and it didn’t work, but this came out beautiful. i had to let it rise overnight in the fridge because i misjudged how much time i’d need the night before, and i also didn’t trust my old yeast to rise in an hour. came out really nice and fluffy with a crunchy base. thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg
I'm so glad you liked it! In the future keep your yeast in the freezer — it can add up to a year to the shelf life and you can use it right out of the freezer without worrying if it's gone bad!
Kristin
So easy and so delicious!!
Kalypso
I made this gluten free using Fioreglut gluten free flour and it came out so good! I weighed everything and followed the recipe as written. I did use a spatula for the fold and smack part because it was rather sticky, but that's unsurprising for gluten free flour. Gonna try the cinnamon roll with this flour next!
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad to know it worked with that brand of gf flour! Let me know how the cinnamon roll turns out too! Good luck!
Wendy
I made this for the first time yesterday and OMG was it amazing!! It was crispy on the outside and chewy & tender on the inside - my family went nuts over it! I’m going to make another one today using roasted garlic & garlic oil which is cooking away in the oven right now. Thank you for a simple, delicious, easy to follow recipe! I can’t wait to try lots of flavor variations with it
Maggie
Wow! Turned out fabulous! I don’t have a scale but I measured the ingredients carefully. Perfect for the two of us. I’ll be making more because we went straight through it in one meal lol. I finished with fresh rosemary and maldon salt A+
Captains2012
I have wanted to make focaccia forever. This recipe just popped up on my IG. I lost my mind. I went right into the kitchen & made it immediately. It’s on its second rise now. I’ll post how it turns out. So easy.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Excited to hear how it goes for you! Enjoy!
Captains2012
Turned out so magnificent!! I almost ate the whole thing alone with smashed avocados & lime. I woke my husband up & he joined me. He was grateful to try the bread. He said “it was wonderful!” I baked the end I gave him with no salt. He’s a low salt eater. I made a full loaf then. I left that dough in the fridge overnight. It’s on its second rise. Ready to go in the oven but with rosemary & olives this time. Thank you !!
Rebecca Eisenberg
That's so wonderful to hear! I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it worked well for you! Rosemary + olives sounds like a great combo. Enjoy!
Laura
Made this Focaccia today and it was my first time making bread of any kind. I doubled the recipe and wasn't overly cautious with my measuring but it turned out amazing!! Light, fluffy, and so tasty. I added rosemary from the garden into the dough and then also on top before putting in the oven. Delicious, Thank you for sharing
Rebecca Eisenberg
So glad you liked it!!
Nicole
Came out amazing. The easiest and most successful bread recipe I've ever followed.
Emma
I made this recipe yesterday and added olives, rosemary and Parmesan cheese to it and was absolutely delicious!!
Such a great easy to follow recipe!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yum!!! So glad you enjoyed!
BakingCat
I don't have a kitchen scale so I was nervous to try this, but it turned out delicious and fluffy with a beautiful crust! For those trying with measuring cups, definitely adjusting after the first mix and adding more water if needed helped me get a good sticky dough. This was my first time making bread so I'm super happy with how it turned out!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yes, this is absolutely the right way to go about it if you're using measuring cups — adding a little more water if needed! So glad it worked for you, thanks for sharing your tips!
Judy Miller
This was my first try at any type of bread. The recipe was so easy to follow. It turned out perfect! It was light and fluffy. No bread left. I will make it again soon. This recipe will be used often. Thank you.
Jessica D
Absolutely delicious. I tried this recipe out for my first go at focaccia and the recipe was easy to follow and it turned out amazingly! I can’t wait to make it again already!
Rebekah
Am I using a mini loaf pan or a standard sized one? And what temp is warm water? Thanks!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Regular sized loaf pan as linked in the blog post! And warm water for this recipe is 80-85F.
Jenna
This is the first time that I successfully made foccacia! Made it for me and my husband to enjoy with some soup. It was great and I look forward to making it again soon and having it with the homemade deli tuna salad (another recipe of the practical kitchen that I've made over and over again because I love it so much).
Robin
I made this exactly as written and it was delicious! The only thing is I think I sprinkled a bit too much flaky salt on top.
Sharon
I've been baking bread for 50 plus years and love to make focaccia (and try new recipes!). Since I primarily bake for two people, it was great to find this recipe. Per your instructions I weighed the dry ingredients. Since we like whole wheat breads, I used mostly whole wheat flour. We really enjoyed this bread and will use the recipe again.
Monika
I've made this focaccia about 4 times and I absolutely love it, even when I made mistakes it turned out great. For the first batches i did not have olive oil so I made it with corn oil and it worked really well gave it more of a fast food pizza flavor but I like that so no complaints there. The first time I made it I forgot to add the oil to the dough itself, it rose less but still enough for it to be delicious. For the second time I added 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed (substituting for the same weight of flour), this added a bit of more flavor that I really enjoyed, also added very thinly sliced tomatoes on top along with the fresh rosemary, I was planning to only eat half for lunch and leave the other half for dinner but I could not stop.
The third time I made double the recipe because I just love it so much, and it turned out great too, made half the dough as usual and left the other half in the fridge to cook the next morning, I got adventurous and made it in a sandwich press, it was not bad, but I will probably not make it like that again, I dipped it in some tomato veggie sauce and it made an amazing quick breakfast.
My next attempt was double recipe, in a 9x7ish pan (finally with olive oil), I made half of it a regular focaccia with rosemary and the other half a simple pizza with tomato sauce and cheese and it was delightful, I died and came back to earth eating it. Buut the pan was a bit too small for the amount of dough, the cheese almost spilled over and the pizza-y side was a bit of a soggy mess so maybe start with discreet amount of tomato sauce, it was delicious though so if you dont mind the soggy mess go forth with the amount of sauce your heart desires.
And that's it for now with my crazy experiments with your amazing recipe, thanks for bringing me so much joy every time I eat one of these!
Rebecca Eisenberg
I love love love how much you were inspired by this recipe to try so many creative variations!! Enjoy and keep experimenting!!
Barb Porter
OMG - I thought I already had my favorite focaccia but this small one drew me in. I am so very glad I tried it. Lovely, light and crunchy! I made mine in a 7" square stoneware dish for the prettiness and it really was perfect for two of us. Many, many thanks for this treasure.
MReag
This was delicious and easy to make. The only downside was that there wasn't any leftovers! I'm making a full pan next time. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
Sarah
This focaccia is insanely good. Like, mind-blowingly good. And so easy! I think the not-crust:crust ratio is really great on these lil loaves and prefer them to full-size focaccia.
I mis-planned my loaves today and need to pause mid-rise. I'm going to stick them in the fridge. I'll report back! Cross fingers for me!
Sarah
OK, I stuck one in the fridge just after transferring to the loaf pan but before the 1-hour rise and the other just after dimpling before the final 30-minute rise, and both turned out great and consistent with results I have had with the rises as written.
Like a previous commenter, I have screwed this recipe up in a variety of ways and while the results have varied, they have all been delicious. This bread is SO GOOD and it's really hard to go wrong.
Giulia
So the first time I made this it was a disaster, it never rose and I did everything the recipe said. I'm from Italy so I obviously used a scale and usually bread recipes always come out perfect. I though it was because it's winter and it's not hot enough, but still I made a few changes. First I warmed the water, I put sugar into the war water and then I dissolved the yeast. I let it activate for 5 minutes and then I poured the mixture into the flour (without the salt). I mixed it, added the oil and lastly I put salt in it, to let the yeast activate perfectly. I let it rise in my warm oven and it worked perfectly. Also I used bread flour the second time, using a bit more of it (like 20 gr more).
Some friendly advice from the Italian perspective, every Italian baker does this: mix water and oil in equal parts and use the emulsion before popping it into the oven, the crust will come out out perfect.
Thank you for the recipe, I'll definitely do it again!
Ali
I made this for the first time today with 00 flour and will be adding this to my 'must make again' list. To be able to make bread that is so delicious and overall easy in just a few short hours, and for one, just makes me happy 🙂 I added flaky salt and rosemary to top it off.
Jody
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so tasty! I was a bit nervous to try it because I had a major fail a couple of years ago with a different focaccia recipe. Yours is definitely a keeper! Next on my list is your Epic Single Cinnamon Roll, it will be just the right size for the two of us.
Thank you for sharing your recipes, techniques and knowledge.
Ida Ripley
Hello! I have made this recipe a few times, getting better each time. I find, though, that it is a bit overcooked. My oven tends to run hot, would you suggest a lower temp or just less time at 400°?
Rebecca Eisenberg
If your oven runs hot I definitely recommend picking up a cheap oven thermometer so you can get the temp just right. Otherwise, I would say just pull it out a few minutes earlier — try 17 minutes and see if that works better for you!
Monica
just finished this recipe and wow!!! it came out perfect!!! completely fool proof as long as you are using a scale!! i even chose to add a salt brine on top on the last 30 min proof and it worked perfectly! salt brine was 2 tablespoons warm water with 3/4 teaspoons of salt. then once finished baking i poured more olive oil into the crevices so it can soak it up as it cools down 🙂 this will definitely be a staple recipe i’ll be using often now! thank you, practical kitchen! you are amazing and talented!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Yesss I love doing the brine on top! Great idea!
Kaitlin
Love this recipe so much! The most delicious mini focaccia is perfect to make when you only have a few hours. This recipe is so easy to follow as a semi beginning bread maker. My family loves it as a side for pasta night 🙂
Scott
This is an amazing recipe. So simple and easy to make. I have made it a few times and it is almost a weekly bread. Anytime I want soup or pasta, this is a must. I can come home from work, start it, relax a bit, and pop it in the oven for supper. Also, you said use instant yeast and all purpose flour. No need to use bread flour or any fancy yeast. That there made this bread worth making. You said this is what works and pretty much stick to it. Fantastic.
Rebecca Eisenberg
Thank you so so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you like the recipe! Enjoy!!
Nikki Sokulski
This recipe is a KEEPER!
I am obsessed with this recipe. We love a good pasta night in our house and we’d always buy loaves of bread just to eat a part of it with dinner and ended up throwing the rest out afterwards. Felt so wasteful.
This recipe makes the perfect amount of focaccia for the two of us. No waste. Only delicious yummy carbs!
I know the Maldon salt feels like an expensive ingredient to just keep around the house but it is SO worth it. The added salt and crunch work perfectly here. Most people do rosemary on top but I’m allergic…so I sprinkles a little roasted garlic power on top with the Maldon salt and fell in love.
Emma
When it comes to bread making I am usually very unsuccessful but this was top notch. It was so simple to make and the hardest part for me was waiting so I could do the slap technique again because it was so fun lol anyone who is hesitant because they don't think they can do it this is such a low fuss high reward recipe. I added olives and sun-dried tomato to the top of mine for the last of the half hour rise and then the second time I made it I just crumbled feta and black pepper onto it. It is such a versatile base recipe that really anything can go on it as long as it's not too wet or too big.
Dorothy Winston
This recipe is delicious and simple. I was able to knock it our and serve with soups and other such dishes. My husband is in love! Thank you for posting it to Tiktok.
Victoria
I tried in the air fryer for 15 mins. The tip came out a little over done so I’ll test lowering the heat next time
Andrea
I sent this recipe to my husband as he has been the baker lately and the idea of making a small amount of bread seemed so convenient. It came out really delicious! Easy and just the perfect amount for 1 or 2 if you want fresh bread!
Mel G
I quite literally make this once a week
Brittney
This recipe is SO good!! I’ve made it 5x (I had to double it after the first time, though, because one loaf was not enough)! The loaf comes out crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. I topped mine with garlic and rosemary. Absolutely delicious!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Garlic and rosemary, a classic combo!! So glad you love it.
Anika
It works great in an airfryer :D. If you want it only slightly golden brown then bake it for a little shorter as its very dark after the full time. I love the recipe!
Rebecca Eisenberg
So good to know! Enjoy!