This Rosemary Focaccia with Pine Nuts brings together the earthy fragrance of fresh rosemary and the subtle crunch of pine nuts, perfectly infused in a soft, olive oil-rich dough. Each bite offers a delightful contrast of flavors and textures, making it an irresistible addition to any meal.
Ideal for dipping in olive oil, serving alongside a hearty soup, or simply enjoying as a snack, this focaccia is not just bread; it’s a journey through rustic Italian flavors. The golden crust, speckled with herbs and nuts, presents a feast for the eyes, promising a memorable gastronomic experience.
The rosemary aroma is heavenly and the toasted pine nuts give this focaccia an exceptional flavor. This recipe utilizes a wash made with egg yolk, olive oil and water which gives the bread a beautiful crisp golden brown crust and a delicious crumb on the inside.
Rosemary Focaccia with Pine Nuts
Recipe adapted from the Rosemary Focaccia in Cooking Light’s 2006 Annual Recipes Cook Book.
The rosemary steeps in boiling water so be sure to let the mixture cool to 100 to 110 degrees before adding the yeast. Otherwise you might kill the yeast.
I used fresh rosemary from my garden. It’s really nice to be able to go and pick it whenever I need it.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided into teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (I used bread flour)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided into tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon seat salt or kosher salt
Directions:
Combine boiling water, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and honey in a large bowl, cool to 100 to 110 degrees. Sprinkle yeast over the honey mixture; let stand 5 minutes.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, level with a knife. Add 3 1/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt to honey mixture, stirring to form a soft dough.
This dough was really easy to mix. You don’t need a mixer. I used my Danish dough whisk but a wooden spoon would probably work just fine.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hand (dough will feel sticky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough. Punch dough down.
Pat dough into a 14 x 12-inch rectangle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover dough. Make indentations in top of dough using handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips.
Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon water and egg yolk, brush over dough. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle with 8 teaspoons rosemary and sea salt. I also added pine nuts to give it a nuttier flavor and texture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly-browned. Remove from pan, cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy this Rosemary and Pine Nut Focaccia warm just as it is or with some marinara or a little extra olive oil. It really doesn’t need anything else. It’s hardy enough to make a meal out of it.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
This month marks the 3rd Anniversary of Bread Baking Day. Zorra, the creator of BBD, chose the theme Bread with Nuts for this special occasion.
Be sure to check out all of the fabulous breads in the BBD #31 Roundup.
zorra says
I love foccacia and yours looks soooo yummy. Thank you for participating in BBD #31.
ap269 says
YUM!!! I LOVE pine nuts!
Mangia says
Cathy,
now I found your blog I will be coming again and again…I am an eagger baker! Loved this focaccia! Probably I´ll have to use other nut, Pine nuts are very expensive in Brazil.
Loved the pics, so mouthwatering!
Cheers!
Cathy (breadexperience) says
Hi Mangia!
Thanks for stopping by. This focaccia doesn’t really need nuts. You can just use the rosemary and it will taste great! I had some pine nuts so that’s why I used them.
Happy Baking! Please do come back for a visit.
Cathy
Anonymous says
Holy cow! If I’d known “printer friendly” was going to print every single photo, I would never have printed this out. You should have an option to not print photos. Thanks.
Cathy (breadexperience) says
Hi Anonymous! There is an option to print without photos. When you click on the Printer-Friendly button, just check the “Remove Images” box at the top of the dialog box that pops up. You can also change the text size. Hope this helps!
Anonymous says
I had this (rosemary focaccia) with fried green tomato and crispy bacon. What a delicious sandwich!
Some people like it with a bit of Arugula but I opted
to have it without. Really tasty.
Jeanette
Cathy W. says
So glad you enjoyed it! I need to make this one again.
nerissa says
Hi Cathy can I make this with einkorn flour? If so how much should I use if I want to bake this in a round pan? Glad to have found your site!:-)
Cathy W. says
Hi Nerissa,
You should be able to make this focaccia with all-purpose Einkorn flour. Just reduce the hydration (boiling water) by about 20% since einkorn doesn’t absorb water the same as bread flour. You can add some additional water in as you work the dough, if necessary.
I haven’t tried baking this focaccia in round pans, but this recipe is probably enough to fill two round baking pans.
Happy Baking!
Cathy
rachael says
Just made focaccia for the first time using this recipe. It was so easy to follow and turned out AMAZING even though I was a little terrified. Instead of pine nuts I substituted caramelized onion which turned out so well. Really amazing. Thank you so much!
Cathy says
That’s great Rachel! Glad you conquered your fears. I bet the caramelized onions were amazing.