With 10 minutes of hands-on prep time and no kneading required, this Vegan Focaccia is ridiculously easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to rise, then bake!
If bread is your favorite food, then you’ll love this easy Vegan Focaccia recipe. It’s slathered in olive oil, incredibly fluffy on the inside, and golden and crispy on the outside. Best of all, it’s one of the most beginner-friendly artisan breads there is!
Just like my no knead Dutch Oven Bread, this focaccia recipe uses a handful of simple ingredients to give you bakery-style results every time. Making the dough is relatively hands-off and doesn’t require much kneading, too. The fun part comes when it’s time to coat the dough in olive oil and press dimples on top.
Toppings are a great way to upgrade your vegan focaccia bread’s flavor. I used fresh rosemary and salt but you can use sliced vegetables, homemade sauces, and even vegan meat instead. Scroll down to the focaccia topping ideas below for more options!
What is focaccia?
Focaccia bread is a dimpled Italian flat bread made with yeast, flour, and lots of olive oil. It’s a large, rectangular bread that’s pillowy and fluffy on the inside while the outside is golden and crisp. Because of its long and wide shape, focaccia is fantastic at holding toppings or being used as an alternative crust for homemade pizza.
How to make vegan focaccia bread
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Whisk the flour, salt, yeast, and sugar together in a large bowl. Pour in the warm water and gently stir until you’re left with a sticky dough.
Pour some oil into the bowl and turn the dough to coat the outside.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and place it in the fridge. Let the dough rise overnight or for up to 3 days.
Pour some oil into a (vegan) buttered baking pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and roll it around in the oil. Cover the pan and set it aside so the dough can rise again.
Sprinkle the toppings of your choice over the focaccia dough (I used fresh rosemary). Drizzle the remaining oil on top.
Using clean hands, press your fingers straight down into the dough to create deep dimples (you should hit the bottom of the pan). Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan.
Bake the focaccia until it’s golden brown and crisp on the bottom.
Set it aside to cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Quick focaccia
Focaccia is truly so much better if you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, or better yet for a few days. That said, you can make quick focaccia if you need to.
Simply let the dough rise in the bowl for 30 minutes in a warm place, then transfer to the pan and let rise for another 30 minutes. Bake per the instructions.
Toppings for focaccia bread
Mix and match the toppings for vegan focaccia as much as you like. Just make sure to press them into the dough before baking so they stick.
All of these ideas would be delicious:
- Fresh or dried herbs – Rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme, or parsley.
- Spices – Sea salt or flaky salt, garlic powder, freshly cracked pepper, or red chili flakes.
- Aromatics – Thinly sliced garlic, roasted garlic cloves, or thinly sliced shallots, onions, or green onions.
- Vegetables – Sliced peppers, asparagus, olives, sliced heirloom tomatoes, capers, thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant, cherry tomatoes, or thinly sliced potatoes.
- Vegan meat – Sliced vegan pepperoni, tofu bacon, or tempeh bacon.
- Vegan cheese – Shredded vegan parmesan, mozzarella, or ricotta.
- Sauces – Pizza sauce, vegan pesto, dairy free alfredo sauce, or balsamic reduction.
Pro tip: If you’re worried about the toppings burning in the oven, lightly brush them with more olive oil before baking.
Serving suggestions
Olive oil infuses so much flavor into focaccia. It’s practically addictive when eaten on its own, but it can also be served in so many creative ways, such as:
- Slice the focaccia and serve it with an Italian-style dinner. It pairs perfectly with vegan lasagna, spaghetti, chickpea soup, and vegan meatballs.
- Eat it as a snack with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
- It’s a comforting bread that makes bowls of butternut squash soup and tomato soup 10 times as cozy.
- Layer the dough with pizza sauce, vegan pepperoni, dried herbs, and shredded vegan cheese for a focaccia pizza.
- Slice the focaccia in half and layer it with hummus, leafy greens, and roasted vegetables for an epic vegan sandwich.
Frequently asked questions
Not at all. Experienced bakers and newbies will have an easy time making focaccia at home. Plus, the step-by-step instructions and pictures help guide you through the entire process.
Traditionally, yes, focaccia is vegan-friendly. The dough is almost always made with flour, yeast, salt, water, and olive oil.
Some recipes, however, call for eggs in the dough for added richness or use real butter for greasing the pans. And of course, layering the bread with non-vegan toppings will take away the bread’s vegan status.
Both ciabatta and focaccia are Italian breads made with similar ingredients (flour, yeast, and water) but they are very different. Olive oil drastically changes the texture of focaccia, making it very soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Meanwhile, ciabatta is a denser white bread that’s more suitable for sandwiches.
Yes, the dough can be made and left to rest and rise in the fridge for up to 3 days ahead of time. Just keep it in a covered bowl in the fridge until it’s time to bake.
Once it’s baked and cooled, wrap the focaccia in plastic or keep it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days at room temperature. Afterward, it will start to dry out and go stale.
Yes, focaccia freezes well for about 3 months. Wrap it in a layer of plastic and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
Want more bakery-style vegan bread recipes?
Vegan Focaccia
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 packet instant yeast 2 1/4 tsp
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups warm water
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- vegan butter, for greasing the pan
- flaky sea salt
- Optional fresh rosemary, sliced tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast and sugar.
- Pour in the warm water and mix with a rubber spatula, until a sticky dough is formed.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl and coat the outside of the entire dough ball, flipping it over inside the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a clean damp tea towel (or plastic wrap) and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours (overnight) or up to 3 days. To make the quick version, see Notes.
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan with vegan butter. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the center of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, and roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature, until the dough covers most of the pan and has expanded.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- If using fresh rosemary, sprinkle it over the dough. Drizzle the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the dough. Rub your hands lightly in the oil, then use all of your fingers to press straight down and create deep dimples, all the way down. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan, if needed as you make the holes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden.
- Carefully transfer the focaccia to a cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, or longer, before slicing and serving.
Notes
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Optional toppings – sliced peppers, asparagus, green onions, olives, tomatoes, onions, thinly sliced potatoes are all good options. Press the ingredients into the dough to embed them.
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Storage – It will keep for a few days in an airtight container. Or wrap it well and freeze it.
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Yeast options – You can use regular yeast instead, but you should mix it with the warm water before adding to the flour mixture, to proof it. This step isn’t necessary with instant yeast.
- Quick version – The focaccia will be SO MUCH BETTER if you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, or for up to 3 days. But you can make quick focaccia if needed. Once you make the dough and coat in olive oil, let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm place, covered. Then transfer to the greased pan and let rise again for 30 minutes. Stretch the dough to cover the pan if needed, and dimple with your fingers per the instructions. Bake and enjoy!
This is an excellent and simple recipe to make! The instructions are spot on! Delicious…
I use quite a few of your recipes; thank you😃
I just made this as my first attempt ever at bread-making! It turned out AMAZING! I used garlic and dried rosemary for toppings, and it was absolutely delicious. Another hit, Nora!
You bread sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing this great review and feedback! I’m thrilled it was a hit!
NORA! How do you do it? I can’t believe how good this is and how unbelievably EASY! My family goes nuts for this focaccia and they request it all the time.
Makes me smile so big to read this! Thank you for sharing your stellar review and feedback! I love creating delicious recipes, and feel so encouraged to know others are loving them! Happy cooking!
I am going to get this dough ready later to put in the fridge. I plan on making a pasta dish in a few days so this will be perfect! I have not tried this yet but I already know it will be delicious!!! You are who I can turn to for delicious vegan food! Thanks for all your hard work Nora! I appreciate all you do!
Hi Shannon. I appreciate you and your kind words! I’m thrilled you are loving my recipes! Thank you for sharing! Happy cooking!
Well I forgot to make the dough yesterday but I now have it in the refrigerator. I am making your tofu bolognese on Wednesday and this will be perfect with it! I will let you know how I did on the focaccia bread Wednesday!
Well the flavor was really good! But for some reason it was really dense. My daughter bakes professionally (she didn’t get her talent from me lol) and she thinks I put too much flour in it. So I will measure more carefully next time because it was very flavorful
Ah so amazing! I made this and it was a massive hit! I also Lao Gan Ma Chilli oil on top of the olive oil to coat the dough and omg it smelled so good!
I also sprinkled it with granulated garlic and rock salt. Honestly received a million compliments on how good it was.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, Nora 🙏❤️
You are welcome, Trisha! I loved reading your baking experience with the focaccia bread! Your ideas sound delicious! I’m glad the bread was a hit! Thanks for your stellar review and feedback!
Absolutely delicious! Because I couldn’t wait to try the recipe…I made the dough in the morning, allowed it to rise on the counter for 90 minutes, then punched it down and popped the covered bowl into the fridge for about 5 hours. I then placed the chilled dough into my 9×13″ pan and into my proofing drawer for about 30 minutes. Topped with fresh rosemary, olive oil and flaked sea salt. Baked off as directed. It was perfect. Can’t imagine it being better but will try the overnight proof next time (and can’t wait to try with other toppings.) Such an easy and perfect recipe. Thank you, Norah!
You are welcome, Sarah! I’m thrilled you loved the focaccia. I know it is difficult to wait for yummy food! Thank you for sharing your baking experience and awesome feedback!
Made this exactly according to the instructions and it was so easy and delicious! I’d always been afraid to try making bread from scratch before, but I always trust Nora Cooks recipes, and this one is another winner for sure. I added rosemary and garlic and it’s just perfect. thanks Nora!
Thank YOU for sharing your wonderful review and baking experience! Your trust in my recipes is so encouraging! I appreciate you!
I made a batch of this for a dinner party. I divided the dough into two and used black olives and rosemary on one batch and just salt on the other. Wow!!! Great texture and fabulous flavour! These were gobbled up!
Hi Michelle. Love your idea of dividing in half to create 2 flavors! Thanks for taking time to share your baking experience and fabulous review!
Could you use sourdough starter?
I’m not sure! Probably but I’ve never tried it and I’m not super experienced at using sourdough starters.
Can you make using a gf flour blend ?
Will this recipe work with gluten free all purpose flour?
I’m not sure it can just be swapped. This recipe looks good though: Gluten Free Focaccia.
Can u please specify when to add the sugar and how much olive oil u add in to the dough?! Thanks
Hi Rachel. The sugar is added in the beginning with the flour, salt, and yeast (step 1). Olive oil isn’t used in the dough itself, but rather used multiple times to coat the outside. You need 2 tablespoons of oil to coat the ball of dough in the bowl (step 3), then another 2 tablespoons to coat the baking dish (step 5). The last 2 tablespoons of oil are drizzled over the dough (step 8) before it’s put in the oven to bake. I hope this helps!
Can you substitute the white flour with something else>
I have only used white flour, so I’m not sure what else will work.
Nora, have you tried this with any gluten free flours? Would love the feedback. Your recipes are wonderful and I share with all my veg-curious friends. <3
I’m sorry I haven’t tried it. From what I’ve read, it can be pretty tricky. Here is a recipe that looks good: Gluten Free Focaccia.