Mark Moriarty’s ultimate focaccia recipe

Sat Nov 14 2026 - 04:52

Serves: 4

Course: Dinner

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Prep Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Part one:
• 14g dried yeast
• 90ml lukewarm water
• 10g sugar
• 110g strong flour
• Part two:
• 240ml lukewarm water
• 110g olive oil
• 20g sugar
• 10g salt
• 430g strong flour
• 300ml good-quality olive oil
• To finish:
• 200ml water
• 10g fine sea salt
• rosemary stalks

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set up a mixer and add all the ingredients from part one. Mix with the dough hook attachment at a medium speed for five minutes. Leave the dough in the bowl it was mixed in and cover with a wet towel. Leave in a warm place to double in size.
2. Once the dough has doubled, add the ingredients from part two into the same bowl and mix for a further 10 minutes with the dough hook at a high speed until the dough has cleaned the bowl. At this point, get your baking tray ready. Use a metal rectangular tray (about 1½-2 inches deep) and fill it with the 300ml of olive oil.
3. Pour the dough into the tray and roll it in the oil, using your fingers to flatten the dough and fill all the corners of the tray.
4. Cover again with a wet cloth and leave in a warm place to double in size; this takes about 45 minutes. You’ll know the dough is ready when it is smooth and slightly domed in shape.
5. At this point it is nearly ready for the oven. Whisk the 10g of fine sea salt into the water. Pick the rosemary leaves off the stalks. Finally, use your fingers to punch holes in the dough, right to the base tray; they should be punched all across the dough.
6. Pour the salted water across the dough so it fills the holes. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves across the top and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until dark brown and crispy then remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

Mark Moriarty is an award winning chef, TV host, author and Irish Times columnist.

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