Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread
Posted Jan 30, 2017, Updated Jul 12, 2024
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This whole wheat focaccia bread is easy to make in 1 hour! It’s a nutritious, moist & flavorful bread that pairs well with all your favorite Italian recipes!
This Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread is a great recipe to make when you’re craving homemade bread but don’t have hours to wait for it to rise. With only one rise (as opposed to the usual 2), you can be eating fresh, homemade whole wheat focaccia bread in one hour–flat!
This whole wheat focaccia is brushed with olive oil and then sprinkled with seasonings & parmesan cheese. Nutritious comfort food at it’s finest.
Whole Wheat Focaccia: Ingredient Substitutions
- Whole Wheat Flour: You can substitute the whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour, bread flour, whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, etc.
- Honey: I have used granulated sugar in place of honey with great results.
- Topping – olive oil: You can use a mixture of butter and olive oil (or just butter) to brush on the bread if you’d like to add a little buttery flavor. I like to use flavored olive oils (like garlic or herb-infused).
- Topping – parmesan cheese: Feel free to omit parmesan cheese for a dairy-free version!
How to Make Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread
Begin by preheating the oven to 200 degrees F. The dough will rise in the warm oven to speed up the process!
Next, combine the dry ingredients in both the dough and the topping and set them aside.
Then, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together water, honey and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy.
Once yeast is foamy (proofed), add oil and flour mixture and mix on low speed.Slowly increase the speed and knead the dough in the mixer until it pulls away from the sides.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until it’s smooth and no longer sticky ( you may need to add a little bit more flour). Roll out the dough to fit the size and shape of a cast iron skillet.
Put the dough in the prepared skillet, cover with a damp towel and let rise in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Once the dough is risen, remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Use your finger to make indentations in the top of the dough, then gently brush the whole wheat focaccia dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the topping mixture. Then bake and enjoy!
Serve
Serve warm with your favorite main dishes (like this pesto pasta or crockpot roast).
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight contianer in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread Recipe FAQs
If you’re not in a rush you can make the dough, put it in the skillet and let it rise in the refrigerator (instead of in the oven) so you can bake it later.
Focaccia is bread, it just has the added bonus of a delicious topping with olive oil drizzled over the top that seeps into the holes.
You can eat it warm or cold. I always prefer to eat my bread warm.
Yes, freeze it in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month.
This bread lasts for up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer.
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Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Grease a large, 12” cast iron skillet, set aside.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together water, honey and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- In a small bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, Italian seasoning and salt. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Set aside.
- Once yeast is foamy (proofed), add oil and flour. Mix on low speed.
- Slowly increase your speed and knead in your mixer until dough pulls away from the sides.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead until it’s smooth and no longer sticky ( you may need to add a touch more flour).
- Roll out your dough to fit the size and shape of your skillet.
- Put the dough in your prepared skillet. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Once dough is risen, remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Use your finger to make indentations in the top of the tough.
- Gently brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the topping mixture.
- While dough is rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 -30 minutes. Or until the bread is set and the internal temperature reaches between 190 and 210 degrees F in the center of the bread).
- Cool slightly before serving.
Video
Notes
- Whole Wheat Flour: You can substitute the whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour, bread flour, whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, etc.
- Honey: I have used granulated sugar in place of honey with great results!
- Topping – olive oil: You can use a mixture of butter and olive oil (or just butter) to brush on the bread if you’d like to add a little buttery flavor. I like to use flavored olive oils (like garlic or herb-infused).
- Topping – parmesan cheese: Feel free to omit parmesan cheese for a dairy-free version!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious! Perfect on my first try. Making it again tonight for a pseudo bun for our pulled pork 🙂
This was amazing! great recipe! I added caramelized onions at the bottom of the skillet before cooking the bread. Great with a butternut + acorn squash soup.
Can I make this with only full wheat flour and no normal flour?
This bread looks amazing! I love that it is whole wheat! I love the topping on this!
Can’t go wrong with a great homemade bread recipe!
This bread is stunning and goes perfectly with the soup! Love the fresh combination!
Thank you Julie!
Homemade bread is so delicious! We made focaccia once and it was so good. Need to do it again! And love that you made it in the cast iron skillet – I just got one!
I LOVE baking things in my cast iron skillet!
I LOVE making homemade bread! My favorite right now is 100% whole wheat pull-apart rolls. They’re AMAZING for breakfast with nut butter and tea 🙂
OoOO that sounds wonderful Alisa!
When I have the time to make homemade bread it’s always always worth it; it’s so light fluffy, delicious, and it always goes well with soup. And I have to agree with you; Progresso canned soups can be amazing!
I LOVE homemade bread so much!