Vegan Focaccia

5 from 5 votes

Homemade Vegan Focaccia with Lemon and Rosemary has a crispy outer edge and a soft and chewy interior. It's an easy recipe for first-time bread makers, that will become a favorite!

Prep Time2 hrs 30 mins

Cook Time22 mins

Cool20 mins

Total Time3 hrs 12 mins

Course: bread

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Alison Corey

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary coarsely chopped
¾ cup + 2 tablespoon lukwarm water
¼ cup olive oil

Topping

1 medium lemon think skin or Meyer lemon works best
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the white whole wheat flour, wheat flour, dry yeast, and finely chopped fresh rosemary whisking together to combine. Create a well in the flour mixture and add warm water (no more than 115° F) and oil.
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture. and add the warm water (no more than 115 F) and olive oil.
Stir vigorously until a sticky dough forms and all of the flour is incorporated.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead by stretching and folding the dough back on itself. Continue for about 5 minutes or 60 turns. The dough should become smoother and fully pull away from the surface. Alternatively: Process the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5-6 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball.
Oil a large bowl. Roll the dough so that it is covered in oil. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap.
Allow the dough to rise at room temperature until 2 ½ to 3 times its size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on the room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the risen dough out onto the parchment paper. Stretch with your fingers to a 9 inch by 14-inch rectangle. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Uncover the dough. Using your finger push dimples into the dough about 2 inches apart.
Slice lemon into extremely thin rounds, less than ⅛^th inch. A mandoline is the best tool for this task, but a very sharp knife also works.
Finely chop the fresh rosemary.
Top with thinly sliced lemon rounds sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary and kosher salt.

Video

Notes

Top Tips for Making Vegan Focaccia

Be sure to flour the surface when you knead the dough to keep it from sticking.
Use the hook attachment on your stand mixer to save some elbow grease. Knead the dough with the hook attachment for about 5-6 minutes or until a ball forms and the dough pulls away from the mixing bowl.
Make sure you give your dough enough time to rest. Do not remove the damp towel or cling wrap until the time rest time is completed.
Use a thin-skinned lemon and a mandoline to get thin even lemon slices. Meyer lemons work best.
Use fresh rosemary rather than dried rosemary. It has a fresh robust flavor.
If you don't have fresh you can use dried rosemary but you will need to cut the measurements in half as dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh.
Other topping suggestions: garlic, fresh or dried herbs, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, and olives.
Store sliced bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Nutrition