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I fear I have a new hyperfixation, and it’s making homemade focaccia. But instead of one big rectangle of bread, I like to make these focaccia muffins, which have olive oil-drenched, crispy edges from top to bottom with the bubbliest, fluffiest centers. Even better, this recipe is super forgiving: use bread flour or all-purpose. Ferment the dough in the fridge for 3 days or make the muffins in one day. Top them with olives and herbs, or keep it simple with flaky salt. Join my bread cult, won’t you?

A wooden board topped with focaccia muffins next to a green bowl of almonds, a white bowl of olive oil, and a yellow linen on a brown stone counter.

Someone check in on my sourdough starter, because ever since I started making focaccia earlier this summer, she has been thoroughly neglected. (Sorry, Etta. Love ya, girl!)

Long story short, a restaurant near my house makes the best focaccia. I seriously dream of it. But I crave it so often that I decided it was finally time to start making it at home. And since I love individual servings, the muffin idea came to be!

I originally learned how to make focaccia when I was in pastry school, but it’s been over the last few years that I’ve really focused on making an extra-bubbly, extra-flavorful dough. This focaccia is 100% hydration, which I know can be intimidating, but don’t worry. Focaccia dough is supposed to be wet and sticky, so it’s hard to mess up.

I also love a long fermentation because it makes these muffins so flavorful and squishy, with lots of pockets for olive oil realness. They are the perfect vehicles for olive oil bread dip or even my burrata Caprese dip. But they also make excellent buns for Italian meatball sliders or these picnic-ready Italian grinder sliders.

Bread flour or all-purpose

A bag of bread flour on a tan counter.

Let me start off by saying that I have made this recipe many times with both bread flour and all-purpose. (And a few times with a mix of the two because I was low on bread flour!) No matter what, this recipe will work, and it will taste great.

Overall, I do recommend bread flour because it has more protein, which forms more gluten, which makes for bubblier, chewier focaccia. But if you don’t have bread flour on hand, please don’t let that deter you! Just use all-purpose and pick up some bread flour for the next batch. 🙂

Make the dough

You can make this recipe with a stand mixer + dough hook or by hand. I usually use my mixer because I like to multitask, but I’ve also made it by hand when my mixer was otherwise occupied. If you make the dough by hand, make sure you have a dough whisk or a good wooden spoon!

A clear mixing bowl with water, yeast, and sugar on a tan counter.
Start by mixing the sugar and warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top.
A clear mixing bowl of mixed water and yeast on a tan counter.
Whisk the mixture until it’s milky and let it hang for 5-10 minutes.
A clear mixing bowl of proofed yeast on a tan counter.
After a few minutes, it should be foamy. This means the yeast is alive and well!
A clear mixing bowl with yeast and bread flour on a tan table.
Then add the bread flour and Kosher salt to the activated yeast mixture.
A clear bowl of dough for focaccia muffins on a brown stone counter.
Mix the dough with a dough hook until there are no more streaks of flour.
Hands covering a bowl of focaccia dough with a pink linen.
Cover the bowl with a damp linen and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch, & folds

You technically don’t have to do this step, but if you have the time, I definitely would! If you’re not familiar, stretch and folds are common in bread-baking (especially sourdough!). It helps develop the gluten and add air to the dough without kneading. Here’s how I do it!

A hand stretching dough from a clear bowl.
Starting on one side of the bowl, gather a section of the dough in your hand and pull up until it won’t go any further without tearing.
A hand folding dough from a clear bowl.
Pull the dough across the bowl towards you and press it into the rest of the dough. That’s it! Repeat this around the bowl about 12-16 times total.
A clear bowl of dough for focaccia muffins after 16 stretch-and-folds.
You will start to notice that the dough will go from being wet and shapeless to more structured. But it will still be very wet, totally normal!

Ferment & bake

A clear bowl of dough covered in olive oil for focaccia muffins.
Coat a bowl with lots of olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 12-72 hours.
A clear bowl of fermented dough on a tan counter.
The dough will slowly ferment in the fridge, which is what we want. This is after 3 days; look at those bubbles!
A cupcake pan filled with dough.
Divide the dough between the cups of a muffin tin. Cover & rise for 30-60 minutes. Then, drizzle olive oil on top.

If you want to make the focaccia same-day, cover the bowl of dough with a linen and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/2-2 hours. The baked focaccia won’t be as bubbly, but will still be soft and delicious!

A hand poking dough in a muffin tin for focaccia muffins.
Now for the fun part! Use clean fingers to poke the dough in various places so it bubbles up and gets its signature look.
A pan of raw focaccia muffins with rosemary.
Sprinkle some rosemary sprigs and flaky salt on top. Or keep it chill with just a pinch of good salt!
Rows of focaccia muffins with rosemary and salt.
Bake the muffins at 450°F (230°C) for 22-24 minutes, until they are a deep golden-brown. Cool & enjoy!
Focaccia muffins on a wooden board next to a yellow linen, a green bowl of almonds, and a white bowl of olive oil on a tan counter.

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Easy Focaccia Muffins from Scratch

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 13 hours 30 minutes
These focaccia muffins are the absolute best, and they are super versatile! You can make this recipe in one day or let the dough slowly ferment in the fridge for bubblier focaccia. Use bread flour or all-purpose flour, depending on what you have. Have fun with the toppings or keep it simple with flaky salt. These muffins are perfectly crisp on the outside, bubbly and soft on the inside, and they're amazing with olive oil bread dip!
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Ingredients

  • 480 milliliters warm water 105-110°F (4 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 480 grams bread flour see notes for all-purpose flour (4 cups)
  • 15 grams Kosher salt I use Morton (1 Tablespoon)
  • 60 milliliters good olive oil divided, more as needed (1/4 cup)
  • Flaky salt for topping
  • Roughly chopped fresh rosemary for topping

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with dough hook or dough whisk
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • Cupcake pan or muffin tin

Instructions 

Make the Dough

  • Stir the warm water and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top and whisk until the mixture is milky. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
  • Then, add the bread flour and Kosher salt. Using a bread hook or dough whisk, mix the ingredients together until there are no more streaks of flour. The dough will be very wet. Cover the dough with a damp linen and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Stretch & Fold

  • After 30 minutes, it's time to do the stretch and folds, which help develop gluten and incorporate air into the dough without kneading. Wet your hands, and then grab a section of the dough along the edge of the bowl. Pull the dough up, stretching it until it won't go any further without tearing.
  • Pull the dough towards the center and fold it down. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process 12-16 times total, until the dough goes from loose and sticky to smooth and structured. (The dough will still be wet, though.)

Ferment the Dough

  • Grease a large mixing bowl with about 2 Tablespoons (30 milliliters) of olive oil. (You can eyeball this.) Transfer the focaccia dough to the bowl and turn the dough so it's very well-covered in olive oil.
  • Cover the bowl with a lid. If you don't have a lid, cover the bowl with a damp linen, followed by plastic wrap or a bowl cover. Refrigerate the dough for as little as 12 hours or up to 72 hours. (The longer it ferments, the bubblier the focaccia will be.) The dough should be doubled or tripled and it will be super bubbly.

Assemble & Bake

  • Once the dough is fermented, place a sheet pan or pizza stone on the center rack of the oven and preheat it to 450°F (230°C). Grease the cups of a standard muffin/cupcake pan with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil per cup, making sure to focus on the edges. Set aside.
  • Use a measuring cup to divide the dough between the greased muffin cups. Each cup will hold about 1/2 cup of dough. Cover the pan with a linen and let the dough rise in a warm spot until the muffins are puffy, about 30-60 minutes. The rise time will depend on how warm your kitchen is.
  • Drizzle the tops of the muffins with about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil each. Using clean, oiled fingers, poke the muffins in various areas to create beautiful dimples and bubbles. Sprinkle flaky salt and chopped rosemary over the tops of the muffins.
  • Once the oven is hot, place the pan on the hot sheet pan/pizza stone. Bake the muffins for 22-24 minutes, until they are tall and golden-brown. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then enjoy them right away or transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container or bread bag for 2-3 days. Or, wrap the muffins in parchment paper, pop them into a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Weighing the ingredients with a scale is key in this recipe, so you don’t use too much flour (which will make the bread dry and dense). If you do not have a scale, whisk the flour until it’s fluffy. Spoon the fluffed flour into a measuring cup and level it without packing it into the cup.
All-purpose (AP) flour will also work for this recipe. Please keep in mind that it will not be as soft and bubbly since AP flour has less protein than bread flour.
If you are using Diamond Kosher salt and you are not weighing it, you will need 1 3/4-2 Tablespoons.
Sensitive to salt? Reduce it to 10 grams (2 teaspoons).
Feel free to swap the rosemary with whatever toppings you like. Herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and parmesan are all good options!
To make this recipe same-day, skip the overnight rise. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 1/2-2 hours in a warm spot, until doubled. All other steps will be the same! 
The stored muffins will become softer over time. To revive the crust, bake the muffins on a sheet pan at 350°F (177°C) for 5-10 minutes.
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 188kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 681mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 1g
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