Easy Mini Focaccia

Finding time to bake fresh bread during busy weekdays feels nearly impossible. Between work deadlines, school pickups, and everything else on your never-ending to-do list, homemade bread often gets pushed to the weekend – if you’re lucky enough to have time then.

That’s where these mini focaccia come to the rescue: they’re quick enough for weeknight baking, require minimal hands-on time, and give you that fresh-baked bread satisfaction without the all-day commitment of traditional loaves.

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What Kind of Bread Flour Should I Use?

For mini focaccia, bread flour is your best bet because it has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps create that chewy texture focaccia is known for. If you can’t find bread flour at your grocery store, you can substitute all-purpose flour, but your focaccia might be a bit less chewy and more tender. King Arthur and Gold Medal both make good bread flours that work well for this recipe. Make sure to measure your flour properly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off, as too much flour can make your focaccia dense instead of light and airy.

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Options for Substitutions

This simple focaccia recipe is pretty forgiving, but here are some swaps you can make:

• Bread flour: All-purpose flour works fine as a substitute, though your focaccia might be slightly less chewy. The texture will still be great, just a bit more tender.
• Instant yeast: You can use active dry yeast instead – just use the same amount but dissolve it in the warm water with the sugar first and let it foam for 5 minutes before mixing with the flour.
• Morton kosher salt: Any kosher salt or sea salt works here. If using table salt, reduce the amount to about ⅓ teaspoon since it’s finer and more concentrated.
• Granulated sugar: Honey or maple syrup can replace the sugar – use about ½ teaspoon of either. This just helps feed the yeast, so don’t skip it entirely.
• Olive oil: While olive oil gives the best flavor for focaccia, you can use vegetable oil or melted butter in a pinch. Stick with olive oil if possible though – it really makes a difference in taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making mini focaccia is not letting the dough rise long enough – rushing this process will leave you with dense, heavy bread instead of the light, airy texture you want. Make sure your water temperature is just warm to the touch (around 100-110°F) because water that’s too hot will kill the yeast, while water that’s too cold won’t activate it properly. Don’t skimp on the olive oil either, as it’s what gives focaccia its signature crispy bottom and tender crumb – use a generous amount in your pan and drizzle more on top before baking. Finally, resist the urge to press down too hard when making those classic dimples with your fingers, since gentle pokes will create the perfect pockets for olive oil without deflating your beautifully risen dough.

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What to Serve With Mini Focaccia?

These little focaccia breads are perfect for dipping into olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar, or you can serve them alongside a big bowl of pasta with marinara sauce. They also make great appetizers when you top them with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil for a mini caprese situation. I love serving them with soups like minestrone or Italian wedding soup since they’re just the right size for dunking. You can even slice them in half and use them as sandwich rolls for Italian meats and cheeses – they’re way more interesting than regular dinner rolls!

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Mini focaccia tastes best when eaten fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out, especially since the smaller size means they can get stale faster than regular focaccia.

Freeze: These little focaccia freeze really well for up to 3 months! Just wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap, then pop them all in a freezer bag. It’s so convenient to have them ready to go whenever you need a quick bread fix.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, wrap frozen focaccia in foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes. For room temperature ones, just pop them in the toaster or oven for a few minutes to crisp up the crust again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1150-1300
• Protein: 30-35 g
• Fat: 42-60 g
• Carbohydrates: 170-180 g

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 1/4 cups bread flour (280 g)
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tbsp morton kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For assembling and baking:

• 2 to 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• Unsalted butter, for greasing rings
• Flaky sea salt, for topping

Step 1: Make the Focaccia Dough

• 2 1/4 cups bread flour (280 g)
• 1/2 tbsp Morton kosher salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a medium-large bowl, combine the bread flour, kosher salt, instant yeast, granulated sugar, warm water, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Mix everything together until you have a wet, shaggy dough.

I like to use a spatula or my hands for a thorough mix, making sure no dry flour remains.

Step 2: Coat and Rest the Dough

• 1 tbsp olive oil (from ‘2 to 4 tbsp olive oil, divided’)

Pour an additional tablespoon of olive oil over the dough.

Use your hands or a spatula to turn the dough, making sure it is fully coated in oil.

This helps prevent sticking and gives the finished bread a beautiful crust.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step 3: Stretch and Fold the Dough

After the first 30-minute rest, uncover the bowl.

Gently grab the dough from the edge at the 12 o’clock position, stretch it upward, then fold it down over the center.

Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process, stretching and folding a total of four times around the dough.

Cover the dough and allow it to rest for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the stretch and fold process once more, then cover and rest for another 30 minutes.

By now, your dough should be puffy and bubbly, having nearly doubled in size.

If it hasn’t, let it continue to proof until it does.

Step 4: Prepare Baking Sheet and Divide Dough

• unsalted butter, for greasing rings
• 2 to 4 tbsp olive oil, divided (for greasing rings and later for dimpling the dough)

While the dough finishes its final rise, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Grease English muffin rings by first rubbing them with unsalted butter and then brushing with olive oil.

Place them evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

When the dough is ready, divide it into 6 equal portions, each about the size of your palm.

Place each portion into a greased ring.

Cover the baking sheet and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.

I find greasing the rings generously makes removing the bread later much easier.

Step 5: Dimple and Bake the Focaccia

• olive oil (for dimpling, from ‘2 to 4 tbsp olive oil, divided’)
• flaky sea salt, for topping

While the dough is on its final proof, preheat your oven to 425°F.

After the proof, use your fingertips to dimple the tops of each dough portion inside the rings.

Drizzle a little olive oil over each dimpled dough, then sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake for about 22 minutes, or until the focaccia is medium golden brown.

To enhance the crust, I always use my best extra virgin olive oil for this step.

Step 6: Cool and Serve

Once baked, remove the focaccia from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack.

Allow the bread to cool for at least 20 minutes before gently removing from the muffin rings.

This resting period helps the bread finish setting and makes it easier to remove from the rings.

Focaccia is best enjoyed fresh the day it’s baked, but you can store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Easy Mini Focaccia

Delicious Easy Mini Focaccia recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 42 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 1225 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dough:

• 2 1/4 cups bread flour (280 g)
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tbsp Morton kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For assembling and baking:

• 2 to 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• unsalted butter, for greasing rings
• flaky sea salt, for topping

Instructions

 

• In a medium-large bowl, combine the bread flour, kosher salt, instant yeast, granulated sugar, warm water, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix everything together until you have a wet, shaggy dough. I like to use a spatula or my hands for a thorough mix, making sure no dry flour remains.
• Pour an additional tablespoon of olive oil over the dough. Use your hands or a spatula to turn the dough, making sure it is fully coated in oil. This helps prevent sticking and gives the finished bread a beautiful crust. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• After the first 30-minute rest, uncover the bowl. Gently grab the dough from the edge at the 12 o’clock position, stretch it upward, then fold it down over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process, stretching and folding a total of four times around the dough. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process once more, then cover and rest for another 30 minutes. By now, your dough should be puffy and bubbly, having nearly doubled in size. If it hasn't, let it continue to proof until it does.
• While the dough finishes its final rise, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Grease English muffin rings by first rubbing them with unsalted butter and then brushing with olive oil. Place them evenly on the prepared baking sheet. When the dough is ready, divide it into 6 equal portions, each about the size of your palm. Place each portion into a greased ring. Cover the baking sheet and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes. I find greasing the rings generously makes removing the bread later much easier.
• While the dough is on its final proof, preheat your oven to 425°F. After the proof, use your fingertips to dimple the tops of each dough portion inside the rings. Drizzle a little olive oil over each dimpled dough, then sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake for about 22 minutes, or until the focaccia is medium golden brown. To enhance the crust, I always use my best extra virgin olive oil for this step.
• Once baked, remove the focaccia from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool for at least 20 minutes before gently removing from the muffin rings. This resting period helps the bread finish setting and makes it easier to remove from the rings. Focaccia is best enjoyed fresh the day it's baked, but you can store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.