Rosemary Black Olive Focaccia Bread

My favorite place to eat in San Francisco makes and sells only one thing: focaccia. Liguria Bakery has been on a corner of Washington Park since 1911. It’s such a quaint, sleepy area of the city. They originated as a full-service bakery, but it became apparent that focaccia was what their customers wanted. They became known for their seven flavors of focaccia.

When we visit San Francisco, Dale and I always go directly to the Liguria Bakery, grab pizza-flavored focaccia, walk across the street to Washington Square Park, and sit on a bench.
We sit and savor the best focaccia that we will probably ever have.
We do this not only for the fantastic focaccia but also to absorb all the unique things Washington Square offers.

When visiting Washington Square, it’s like traveling back to 1954. It’s a quiet area with groups of people practicing tai-chi, walking dogs, and just enjoying the shady park. Across the street is a beautiful Cathedral. It is the epicenter of the block, and it is where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married. The entire area is magical.

After 20 years of going to the Liguria Bakery, I finally started working on my focaccia bread recipe. There are many focaccia versions, but I have landed on what I believe is a close second to Laquria’s after trial and error.

My recipe for Rosemary Black Olive Focaccia is drenched in a saltwater brine just before baking. The results are soft, fluffy, and savory. I love to dip this bread in flavored olive oil. It is perfect with pasta.

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Rosemary Black Olive Focaccia Bread

This delicious Rosemary-Black Olive focaccia Bread recipe is simple to make, and topped with fresh rosemary, olive oil and flaky sea salt.

Course bread

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Black olive, dougbake.com, Focaccia

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 600 grams water
• 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 15 grams honey
• 800 grams all-purpose flour
• 18 grams kosher salt
• 50 grams extra virgin olive oil, plus more for pan and drizzling
• 3 tablespoons rosemary
• 1 cup black olives, sliced in half

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together water, yeast, olive oil, and honey. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, and herbs and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until completely combined and no flour streaks remain. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest on your countertop for 12-14 hours, until doubled in volume.

2. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the surface of a rimmed 12x18” baking sheet. Turn dough out onto the baking sheet and gently stretch the dough towards to the edges of the pan. To do this without tearing the dough, reach hands underneath and gently pull it towards the outside. At this point, it will probably shrink back a bit, but that’s okay. Drizzle it olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, use your fingers to dimple the entire surface of the dough. Stir together warm water and salt and then pour brine over the top of the dimpled dough. Cover again and proof for another 45 minutes. It will seem like a mistake, but trust me here,

4. About 30 minutes into your final proof, preheat your oven to 450° F. When the oven is hot and the dough is proofed, remove cover, sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Make sure to check that the bottom of the dough is crisp and browned.

5. Remove focaccia from oven and immediately drizzle with more olive oil. Let rest for about 5 minutes and then use a metal spatula to loosen from pan. Enjoy warm with butter or olive oil and more flaky salt.