Easy, Cast Iron Focaccia Bread w/Italian Herbs
Homemade Cast Iron Focaccia Bread has never been easier. This is not only the most delicious focaccia recipe ever, but it is extremely simple: no-knead and ready in under 1 hour! You’re going to love the herbs and cheese baked into the crispy outside, with the soft, chewy inside. Additionally, this is the prefect recipe for both beginner and seasoned bread makers.
Focaccia Bread is my favorite Cast Iron Bread
This focaccia bread with Italian herbs is my absolute favorite bread to make at home. From start to finish you have homemade bread on the table in under an hour. It is the prefect bread to make a sandwich or serve with soups, stews, and as a side to any dinner. But my favorite part, is aroma that flows from your oven while those herbs cook. The smell is simply mouth watering! You might catch me drooling a little while this bread in baking.
The Most Important Ingredients to make the PERFECT Focaccia:
- Extra-Virgin Oil Oil: The oil is what makes the focaccia taste so amazing. It adds the flavor and the texture to the bread. You don’t want the cheapest or the most expensive oil, you simply want the one that tastes the best to you! My favorite is California Olive Ranch it taste amazing, doesn’t break the bank, and can be found in most grocery stores.
- Herbs: Although, Fresh herbs is always a great choice, for this recipe I used a dried Italian herb blend. However, I recommend using what you have available. Both dried and fresh herbs work perfectly in this recipe. Mix it up, using a combination of your choosing: Rosemary, Oregano, Chives, Dill, Parsley, Sage. Basil, or Thyme. Let your pantry be your guide!
- All Purpose Flour: Your flour choice in this recipe is an important one. Using the wrong flour could leave your dough too chewy, or flakey. All purpose flour is your best bet when making your cast iron focaccia.
What you will you need to make this Easy Cast Iron Focaccia:
Equipment:
- 10″ Cast iron Skillet
Ingredients:
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1½ tsp Yeast
- ¾ cups Water, warm
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
How to make this Easy Cast Iron Focaccia w/Italian Herbs
Instructions:
Prepare Dough
- Preheat oven to 175’°
- In a small bowl comine sugar, yeast, and warm water. Allow to disolve for 3-4 minutes
- In a large stand mixing bowl combine: dissolved yeast, sugar, water, flour, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp seasoning, and salt.
- Move your bowl to the stand mixer, fitted with bread hook. Then, mix on low until the dough has pulled away from the sides creating a ball.
- Coat the bottom of your cast iron pan with ½ tbsp oil. Then, place your dough ball in the pan. Using your hands press the dough into pan covering the bottom.
Proof/Rising Dough
- Turn the oven off and place your cast iron pan and dough inthe oven to proof for 25 minutes, allowing the bread to rise.
- After 25 minutes your dough should have risen 1-2 inshes and become fluffy. Remove your skillet from the oven, increasing the temp to 400’°
- Brush your dough with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Next, using your finger tips, make indentions on the surface of the bread and sprinkle with grated cheese and additional italian seasoning.
Bake
- Place in the oven to bake at 400’° for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy!
Notes For Meal Planning:
This is a fantastic bread to have available any time. I make a loaf at least once a month. It is a great bread sliced in half to make into sandwiches. However, I also enjoy warming it up, with a little butter or peanut butter. I recommend making this bread on a Sunday morning to have all week long.
Notes for Meal Prep and Storage:
- Room Temp Storage: This bread will last in room temperate for 4 – 6 days when stored in an air tight container.
- Fridge Storage: Placing this bread in the fridge will extend its life up to two weeks, but will cause the bread to become more dense. You will want to reheat the bread slightly to soften up.
- Freezer Storage: The Focaccia bread will last in the freezer for up to 3 months, when wrapped tightly in plastic, then wrapped in foil.
Tip:
Allow the bread to cool completely before storing. The additional moisture caused but sealing in the heat in can cause the bread to get moldy sooner.
Tips for Defrosting Cast Iron Focaccia Bread:
Allow the focaccia to defrost at room temperature. This will take 2 -3 hours per slice or overnight if defrosting an entire loaf. Next, you will want to refresh the bread in the oven at 325Ëš degrees for about 5 minutes until warmed through and crispy again.
Notes For Counting Macros:
When it comes to Baking there is not an easy way to make adjustments to the recipe to have it fit your personal macro goals. Baking can be tricky and making adjustments can cause the recipe to not turn out. However, when it comes to bread and baking I say “ENJOY the bread” and make adjustments to the other meals in your day!
Easy Cast Iron Focaccia Bread with Italian Herbs
Equipment
- 10" Cast iron Skillet
Ingredients
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1½ tsp Yeast
- ¾ cups Water warm
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Pecorino Romano Cheese grated
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Instructions
Prepare Dough
- Preheat oven to 175’°
- In a small bowl comine sugar, yeast, and warm water. Allow to dissolve for 3-4 minutes
- In a large stand mixing bowl combine, dissolved yeast, sugar, water, flour, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp seasoning, and salt.
- Move your bowl to the stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook. Mix on low until the dough has pulled away from the sides creating a ball.
- Coat the bottom of your cast iron pan with ½ tbsp oil. Then place your dough ball in the pan. Using your hands press the dough into pan covering the bottom.
Proof/Rising Dough
- Turn the oven off and place your cast iron pan and dough into the oven to proof for 25 minutes, allowing the bread to rise.
- After 25 minutes your dough should have risen 1-2 inshes and become fluffy. Remove your skillet from the oven, increasing the temp to 400’°
- Brush your dough with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Then using your finger tips, make indentions on the surface of the bread and sprinkle with grated cheese and additional italian seasoning.
Bake
- Place in the oven to bake at 400’° for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, serve and Enjoy!
Macro Nutrition
Questions Often Asked:
Take the bread out of the freezer and unwrap from tin foil and plastic. Allow to defrost at room temperature, this will take about 2-3 hours per slice or overnight for an entire loaf.
Once the bread has defrosted, heat your oven to 325Ëš degrees and bake for 5-7 minutes until the bread is warmed thought and crispy again.
At room temperature for 4 – 6 days.
In the Fridge up to 2 weeks.
If freezing it will last up to 3 months.
