Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

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This Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread Recipe is ready in 1 hour! It’s an easy, delicious bread recipe that is the perfect side dish to any meal!

skillet with baked Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread with parsley on top


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.

front view of a piece of Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread on a spatula being pulled from the cast iron skillet

How to Make Easy 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.

two photos showing how to make Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread mixing dry ingredients

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.

two photos showing how to make Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread proofing yeast and adding dry ingredients

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.

two photos showing how to make Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread dough in a ball and then rolled out in the skillet

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!

two photos showing how to make Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread after rising before baking

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.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this in advance?

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.

How is focaccia different from bread?

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.

Do you eat focaccia hot or cold?

You can eat it warm or cold. I always prefer to eat my bread warm.

Can you freeze focaccia?

Yes, freeze it in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month.

How long is focaccia good for?

This bread lasts for up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer.

overhead photo of Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread baked in a cast iron skilelt

Whole Wheat Focaccia: Substitutions

As always I recommend making this recipe exactly as written, but here are a few possible 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!
up close photo of a piece of Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

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Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

Laura
This Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread Recipe is ready in 1 hour flat! An easy, delicious bread recipe that is the perfect side dish to any meal!
5 from 4 votes
Course bread, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 102
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Rise time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Ingredients 
 

Dough:

Topping:

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 20 -30 minutes.
  • Let cool and eat!

Video

Notes

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!

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 3.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 0.5mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 39.4mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 1.6g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

More delicious recipes

Serve this whole wheat focaccia bread with your favorite Italian dishes! Also, check out our other bread recipes!

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