This black pepper focaccia bread recipe is soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, with freshly ground black pepper on top! Perfect for dipping in soups, sauces, or lathering in olive oil! Best of all this recipe makes two loaves of focaccia! So easy to make and most delicious fresh from the oven while still warm. This is a must try!
This recipe makes enough enough focaccia to feed a crowd at your next barbeque, dinner party, or potluck event! But also easy enough to make as a side for your next weeknight meal! This bread recipe also travels super well to any party or event!
For another sweet and delicious bread recipe, see my Easy Banana Bread with Chocolate Peanut Butter Chips Recipe!
Black Pepper Focaccia Ingredients
The best part of this focaccia recipe, is that it only contains 8 ingredients! Most of which you likely already have in your pantry or fridge! For this flavorful, and fluffy, black pepper focaccia bread recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Water-luke warm water is needed to activate and bloom the yeast appropriately. I recommend using a thermometer to ensure that you do not overheat your water which can kill the yeast.
- Yeast-I recommend using fast acting, or instant, yeast for this recipe to ensure a speedy and full proof focaccia recipe!
- Maple syrup-While I used maple syrup to bloom the yeast in this recipe, you can also use your preferred sweetener such as: agave nectar, sugar, or coconut sugar. Just ensure that your sweetener has sugar content so that the yeast blooms properly.
- Olive oil-Use olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil, that you like the taste of for this recipe!
- All-purpose flour-You can absolutely substitute all purpose flour for 1:1 gluten free flour for this recipe.
- Black pepper-Since this is a black pepper focaccia after all, I highly recommend using freshly ground black pepper to get the best flavor!
- Sea salt-I recommend sea salt for focaccia bread, over kosher salt, for that nostalgic salty bite!
- Minced garlic– Feel free to use dried minced garlic, garlic powder, or freshly minced garlic for this recipe.
See recipe card for additional details and quantities.
Step-by-Step Focaccia Instructions
For the full instructions and measurements for how to make this delicious recipe, please skip down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Use the following step-by-step instructions for how to make this delicious focaccia bread:
Add warm water to your stand mixer with maple syrup and yeast. Mix for 10 seconds and then let sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast bloom.
Then add the olive oil, 3 cups of flour, and salt. Mix on medium speed with the dough handle attachment for 5 minutes, then add the remaining 1 cup of flour. Continue mixing for another 5 minutes, for a total of 10 minutes.
Then remove the dough onto a floured board and knead 10 times. Coat the mixing bowl in olive oil, rub the dough in the olive oil as well and place the dough in the bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
After the second rise, push your fingers into the dough to make divots throughout the dough. Add a drizzle of olive oil all over the top, then sprinkle the sea salt, black pepper, and minced garlic evenly over the top.
Then bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes until golden brown on the top. Take out of the oven, let cool and enjoy!
Hint: Ensure that you knead the dough with the stand mixer, and by hand, as per the instructions to ensure that the gluten in the dough is properly developed. Please see details instructions in the recipe instructions below.
Focaccia Substitutions
Are you gluten-free or vegan? This recipe has the following substitutions so that you can still enjoy this easy focaccia bread recipe!
- All-purpose flour – instead of using all-purpose flour which contains gluten, feel free to substitute with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend! The bread will still be fluffy and delicious.
- Vegan-This recipe is naturally vegan and vegetarian!
Variations
There are so many fun topping variations for this easy bread recipe that can add even more flavor!
- Rosemary
- Truffle oil
- Thyme
- Tomatoes
- Whole garlic cloves
- Mushrooms
- Parmesan cheese
- Sundried tomatoes
For a savory dish that would pair perfectly with this focaccia recipe, see my Roasted Eggplant Ricotta Pasta recipe!
Equipment
The three main pieces of equipment needed for this recipe are a stand mixer and two springform pans.
While the stand mixer is technically optional, I highly recommend using a stand mixer to help take over the kneading process. You can however knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand if you prefer.
Focaccia Storage
Store your baked focaccia bread in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
You can also freeze your focaccia bread in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend double wrapping your focaccia bread in parchment paper and plastic wrap before storing the bread in a container in the freezer. This will help ensure freshness longer.
Top tips
- Luke warm water is needed to activate and bloom the yeast appropriately. I recommend using a thermometer to ensure that you do not overheat your water which can kill the yeast.
- I recommend using fast acting, or instant, yeast for this recipe to ensure a speedy and full proof focaccia recipe!
- Ensure that you knead the dough with the stand mixer, and by hand, as per the instructions to ensure that the gluten in the dough is properly developed.
- While the stand mixer is technically optional, I highly recommend using a stand mixer to help take over the kneading process. You can however knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Focaccia bread is a different type of bread due to its flat, circular shape and soft texture. Since this particular bread recipe contains more yeast than other common breads, the additional yeast gives focaccia its trademark fluffy texture.
Focaccia is a delicious bread due to the golden crispy outside crust, and soft pillowy texture inside. Focaccia is drizzled in olive oil before and after baking, and sprinkled with sea salt. This gives the crust an addictive, fatty, crispy, salty crust!
Making focaccia more flavorful is so easy! You can add additional flavors to your focaccia by adding different toppings to the top of the focaccia bread before baking. Some flavorful toppings are: parmesan, truffle oil, garlic, tomatoes, rosemary, sundried tomatoes, or freshly cracked black pepper.
Related
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Black Pepper Focaccia
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 2 Springform pans
Ingredients
Black Pepper Focaccia
- 1 1/4 Cups Water luke warm (100-110 degrees)
- 2 Packages Fast acting yeast
- 1 Tbsp Maple syrup or your preferred sweetener
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 4 Cups All-purpose flour or preferred 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1 Tsp Black pepper freshly ground preferred
- 1 Tsp Sea salt plus more for the dough
- 1 Tbsp Minced garlic fresh or dried
Instructions
Black Pepper Focaccia
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm water between 100-110 degrees in the microwave (use a thermometer). Add water to your stand mixer with maple syrup and yeast. Mix for 10 seconds and then let sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast bloom.
- Then add the olive oil, 3 cups of flour, and salt. Mix on medium speed with the dough handle attachment for 5 minutes, then add the remaining 1 cup of flour. Continue mixing for another 5 minutes, for a total of 10 minutes.
- Then remove the dough onto a floured board and knead 10 times. Coat the mixing bowl in olive oil, rub the dough in the olive oil as well and place the dough in the bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. Then uncover, cut in half (recipe makes 2 loaves), and place in two springform pans. Push the dough out to the edges, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for another 30 minutes in a warm place.
- After the second rise, push your fingers into the dough to make divots throughout the dough. Add a drizzle of olive oil all over the top, then sprinkle the sea salt, black pepper, and minced garlic evenly over the top.
- Then bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes until golden brown on the top. Take out of the oven, let cool and enjoy!
This focaccia bread is fantastic! Out of all the recipes ive tried this one works the best!