The Ideal Baking Temperature For Focaccia

We have Italy to thank for the flatbread with a crispy exterior and fluffy, airy inside called focaccia. It's recognizable for its dimpled surface, drizzled generously with olive oil and flaky sea salt. The best part? Focaccia is one of the easiest breads to make at home because it doesn't require any kneading. Plus, it can be even easier if you use store-bought pizza dough to make focaccia! It is a beginner-friendly bread – but avoid the mistake of not using a hot enough oven.

To understand the ideal temperature this Italian flatbread should be baked at, Chowhound spoke to Luca Corazzina, the chef de cuisine at OLIO E PIÙ, a contemporary Italian trattoria based in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Corazzina shared, "I recommend baking focaccia at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius) for 20 to 25 minutes. The exact time may vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the dough." This is a standard temperature and bake time for thick, fluffy focaccia. Its thin cousin from Genoa, focaccia Genovese, often gets baked at a lower temperature — 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Many incredible toppings work for focaccia, including sliced vegetables, olives, garlic, herbs, cheese, and even slices of fruits like fig or apricot. However, Corazzina explains that, "Toppings can slightly alter the bake time — moist toppings like tomatoes or zucchini may require a few extra minutes to cook through, while delicate toppings should be added later to avoid burning." Modify the bake time according to your toppings, add fresh herbs later on, and layer the cheese under the toppings or sprinkle it after baking.

When it comes to baking bread, every little detail matters. The difference of a few degrees might not seem problematic, but it's enough to affect how the bread rises, the color and texture of the crust, and the size of internal air pockets. Most focaccia recipes recommend an oven temperature of between 425 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, with some suggesting 550 degrees for an even crispier crust. The higher the temperature, the more brown and crispy the exterior with be. Let's say the oven wasn't as hot as Luca Corazzina recommends — under 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for example — you wouldn't be able to achieve the crispy golden-brown crust that focaccia is known for. 

FYI: It's known that home ovens can be a little off in terms of temperature — professional bakers are always checking and recalibrating their ovens to perfection. To see if your oven temperature is correct, place an oven-safe thermometer inside the appliance, then heat it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes before checking the temperature.

Instead of solely relying on time and the color of the crust, the internal temperature of the bread is also a key indicator of doneness. The internal temperature should be around 190 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit – this means there won't be any leftover doughiness. This can be checked with a bread or meat thermometer, which is an affordable investment for home bakers at around $16 and a great way to check food for doneness. Another pro tip: Using a baking stone or even a cast iron pan to bake focaccia can help achieve the perfect texture.