How To Make a Large Batch of Homemade Focaccia

Focaccia bread is one of life's guilty pleasures! It's like bread but super bread. It makes the BEST sandwiches, grilled cheese, and hamburger buns. Rosemary, salt, garlic and olive oil somehow make this magic combination that will have you never wanting to eat "normal" bread again. 

Impress your guests and family with homemade focaccia bread (or buns). They freeze very well too, FYI. You may think you don't need a large batch of focaccia bread but I'm here to tell you that you do. You really, really do. (Give it as gifts and make new friends!!)

Large Batch Focaccia

Ingredients

7 1/2 tsp active yeast (not quick rise)

4 cups hot tap water

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil

6 - 8 cups flour

2 Tbsp sea salt

3 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

3 Tbsp sugar

Toppings 

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp dried rosemary

2 Tbsp dried parsley 

Directions

Place yeast in a bowl. Whisk together the hot tap water and olive oil and whisk into the yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Stir together 6 cups flour, salt, granulated garlic, parsley, rosemary, and sugar.  

 Pour the bloomed yeast into the flour and stir well. Gradually add in enough flour to form a stiff dough. Place on well floured work surface and knead for 3 - 4 minutes. You may need to add a little more flour if your dough is too sticky. (Total flour may be between 6 - 8 cups or so). 

Place dough into a well oiled bowl. 

Cover with a tea towel and let rise somewhere warm for an hour. 

Line 2 cookie sheets (12 X 17 each) with parchment paper and set aside. 

When doubled in size, divide dough in half. Press each half of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. This takes a little elbow grease but it will stretch to fill the cookie sheet. It is okay to leave little indents from your fingers in the dough! 

If you want to do half as bread and half as buns - divide half the dough into 12/13 balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. 

Cover and let rise somewhere warm again for another hour. At the 45 minute mark be sure to turn the oven on to 350 so it can preheat. 

Take half of the olive oil (1/4 cup) and drizzle it over one of the breads. Repeat with the other bread (or buns). Sprinkle each with half of the salt and pepper and rosemary and parsley. The ingredients list is a guideline - I just sprinkle generously until I feel that the bread is well covered. Use less or more, as you prefer! 

FYI - if you have made buns - gently poke the tops with a chopstick to create little holes so the oil has somewhere to pool. Then continue sprinkle the spices as per the bread. 

Bake in the 350 oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until top is golden brown. I cook both pans in my convection oven at the same time; rotating the pans every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking! 

Remove from heat and let cool in pan. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the bread and then lift off the pan. Discard the parchment paper. 

You can cut the bread however you like BUT I cut mine in half vertically and then each half into 5 pieces for 10 total pieces. (In a 12 X 17 pan this means each piece will be 6 inches by 3.4 inches) I then cut each of those pieces in half diagonally so I can use them as sandwich bread. This can be tricky and I recommend a serrated knife and patience. (See photo below for clarification) 

Today I topped our focaccia with tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar, and bacon for a crazy good BLT with cheese. 

The hamburger buns will elevate your burger to the next level! You can also use the focaccia bread to make killer garlic toast. 

Seriously the best bread for sandwiches you will ever make. 

You can half the recipe to just make one pan, if you like, but I always make two and freeze it so we can have focaccia whenever we want to jazz up our sandwiches, garlic toast, or burgers. 

If you cut the bread to 6 X 3.4 then this batch will make 20 pieces OR 24 - 26 buns.