Fig Olive Rosemary Whole Wheat Focaccia is easy to make, absolutely delicious, wholesome, and the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It’s the perfect addition to an appetizer spread or cheeseboard, and it’s also a wonderful bread to use for sandwiches, or just to snack on! You won’t be able to get enough of the soft, fluffy, pizza-like dough and crisp edges!
(This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you SO much for reading and supporting the brands I love!)
There’s not much more delicious than a warm, fluffy, salty, crispy-edged piece of focaccia bread. Being the carb-obsessed soul that I am, I will never turn down bread of any kind. Any day, any time, it doesn’t matter. I am always in the mood for bread. This fig olive rosemary focaccia is the perfect bite of sweet and salty, and it’s just FANTASTIC. I especially love it drizzled with a little honey and extra flaky salt while it’s still fresh from the oven. Over the past couple of years, my brother and I have really gotten into bread making. It’s super fun, and MUCH easier than you’d think! You will be amazed at how simple this recipe is!
Focaccia is made essentially the same way as pizza dough, except it has a little more olive oil, and a little more yeast to give it more rise, and more fluffiness. The olive oil helps crisp up the top and bottom of the dough, yielding that crispy top, golden crust, and crunchy edges. Who doesn’t love a crunchy edge?!
For this recipe, I used my all-time favorite Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour, instead of all-purpose or bread flour, because I love it’s nuttiness, slight sweetness, and the way it pairs with the salty, buttery Castelvetrano olives and sweet figs is absolutely perfect. The flour’s high protein content makes it perfect for baking bread like this one, and the quality is unbeatable. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I love my Bob’s products.
To make the whole wheat focaccia dough, you make it essentially the same way as pizza dough.
All you need:
- active dry yeast (not instant)
- warm water
- honey
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour
- salt
- olive oil
And that’s it! You can knead the dough by hand, or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Totally up to you! I like to make mine in the stand mixer, and then finish kneading it a little bit by hand on the countertop. You also want to make sure you let the dough rise in a warm place – it helps to activate the yeast, and make the rising process a little quicker. I like to preheat my oven to warm up the kitchen, turn it off, and then place the bowl of dough covered, near the oven where there’s some residual heat.
The other thing about this whole wheat focaccia: it couldn’t be prettier!
I mean, how can you go wrong with buttery, beautiful, green Castelvetrano olives, juicy pink figs, olive oil, fresh rosemary, and flaky salt? Total match made in heaven. I always look forward to end of summer/early fall fig season. The season always seems to not last long enough, and I try to incorporate them into as many fun recipes as I can while they’re here! I tend to enjoy figs in a more savory application than sweet, which is where this recipe was born. Salty & sweet forever.
This recipe is made in a half sheet pan (9×13), so it’s perfect for entertaining a small crowd, or for making a batch for yourself, where you’re not left with a ton of leftover bread (which for me, would never be a problem, ha!).
You could certainly double the recipe, however, to be made in a regular, full size sheet pan, if you want a big batch!
Here is a quick overview of exactly how to make this whole wheat focaccia:
- Proof your yeast. This is a fancy way of saying, activate your yeast in a little warm water with honey for 10 minutes or so, or until foam appears on the surface.
- Make the dough. Add your whole wheat flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture, and mix in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for about 5 minutes. Alternately, you can knead the dough by hand on the countertop!
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. For focaccia, we first let the dough rise for about an hour to an hour and a half, then press it into a sheet pan coated with olive oil (that’s how we achieve that perfectly crispy crust!), and let it rise for another 20 minutes or so before baking). During this time, we also use our fingertips to make those pretty little dimples into the top of the dough!
- Decorate. By decorate, I mean press the beautiful Castelvetrano olives and halved fresh figs into the dough. Sprinkle it with some fresh chopped rosemary, and plenty of flaky sea salt.
- Bake! This focaccia bakes for just 20 minutes, so it’s super quick.
- Enjoy. I love to enjoy this focaccia warm, with extra flaky salt, and a little drizzle of honey. Pure perfection.
It’s also a wonderful addition to an appetizer spread, a cheeseboard, or even to make sandwiches with! The possibilities are endless.
See, how can you resist that?!
If you love this focaccia, you will also love these recipes:
Peach Burrata Balsamic Pizza
Cranberry Pecan Caramelized Onion Cheesy Pull Apart Bread
Burrata Pizza with Shaved Asparagus and Arugula Salad
5 Ingredient Fig and Smoked Gouda Flatbreads
Fig Honey Ricotta Mascarpone Dip with Crispy Prosciutto
Green Olive Pasta with Toasted Lemon Breadcrumbs and Herbs
Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!
Fig Olive Rosemary Whole Wheat Focaccia
Fig Olive Rosemary Whole Wheat Focaccia is easy to make, absolutely delicious, wholesome, and the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It's the perfect addition to an appetizer spread or cheeseboard, and it's also a wonderful bread to use for sandwiches, or just to snack on! You won't be able to get enough of the soft, fluffy, pizza-like dough and crisp edges!
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved
- 6 fresh figs, sliced
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Place your yeast in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), along with the warm water and honey. Stir to combine. Set aside for about 10 minutes, or until foam appears on the surface. If your yeast doesn't foam, discard and try again. Either your water was too cool, or it was too hot.
To your yeast, add the whole wheat flour, salt, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, remove from the mixer and knead for an additional minute or so on a clean surface. Alternately, stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, and once the dough starts to come together, knead the dough for 5-6 minutes on a clean surface, dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. (I like to preheat the oven to 400℉ to warm up the kitchen, turn it off, and place the bowl near or on top of the oven where it is giving off residual heat).
Once dough has risen, drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into the bottom of a 9x13 sheet pan (half sheet pan). Punch down the dough, and press into the pan evenly, dimpling the dough with your fingertips, pressing all the way to the bottom of the pan, to create the focaccia "dimples". Drizzle the top of the dough with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Cover with the same dish towel and let rise in a warm place for an additional 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425℉. Once dough has finished its second rise, press the sliced figs and olives into the top of the focaccia dough. Drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with the rosemary and a couple big pinches of flaky salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until focaccia is golden brown on the edges and the top. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan and slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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