Crispy on the outside, pillowy within, focaccia tastes incredible when you make this bread in your air fryer. Here’s one base focaccia recipe, plus three irresistible flavour variations to try.
Ingredients
Method
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Add the water and ¼ cup (60ml) of the oil to the flour mixture, mix until you have a shaggy dough. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a spatula and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Place a paper liner or large piece of baking paper, allowing the paper to come up 4cm up the sides, in the basket of an air fryer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Punch down the dough and place it in the paper, gently pressing to the edges. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until puffed and bubbly.
Drizzle the top with the remaining oil. Use your fingertips to create deep dimples.
Place the focaccia in the air fryer, sprinkle the top with salt flakes and cook for about 18 minutes at 190°C, or until the top is golden. Carefully lift and turn. Return to the air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the base is light golden.
Serve focaccia bread drizzled with a little extra olive oil and salt flakes, if desired.
Focaccia bread flavour variations
Cheese & thyme
- 1 quantity of basic air-fryer focaccia
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 150g provolone cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
- 1/3 cup (40g) coarsely grated mozzarella
- Follow the directions for Basic air-fryer focaccia up to step 3.
- Punch down the dough and turn out onto an oiled bench, pressing out into a rough 25cm x 18cm rectangle. Sprinkle over the parsley and thyme leaves, two-thirds of the provolone and all the mozzarella over the dough. Fold over to enclose the cheeses and place the dough onto the paper in the air fryer basket, gently pressing to the edges. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour, until puffed and bubbly.
- Drizzle the top with the remaining oil. Use your fingertips to create deep dimples and press in remaining provolone. Sprinkle with salt flakes.
- Place the focaccia in the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes at 190°C, or until the top is golden. Carefully lift and turn the focaccia. Return to the air fryer for 4-5 minutes, until the base is golden.
Sundried tomato & parmesan
- 1 quantity of basic air-fryer focaccia
- 2½ tablespoons sundried tomato pesto
- ¼ cup (20g) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- basil leaves, for serving
- Follow the directions for Basic air-fryer focaccia up to step 3.
- Punch down dough; turn out onto an oiled bench, pressing out into a rough 25cm x 18cm rectangle. Smear pesto roughly over dough; sprinkle over parmesan.
- Fold over to enclose filling and place dough onto paper in air fryer basket, gently pressing to edges. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour, until puffed and bubbly.
- Drizzle the top with the remaining oil. Use your fingertips to create deep dimples and press in tomato halves and sprinkle the top with salt flakes.
- Place the focaccia in the air fryer and cook for 18 minutes at 190°C, or until the top is golden. Carefully lift and turn the focaccia. Return to the air fryer for 4-5 minutes, until the base is golden.
- Serve with extra parmesan.
Test Kitchen note: We served the focaccia with cherry tomatoes, air fried separately for 8 minutes at 190°C until blistered. Season with salt flakes and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Olive & rosemary
- 1 quantity of basic air-fryer focaccia
- 1/3 cup (100g) pitted kalamata olives
- 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
- Follow the directions for Basic air-fryer focaccia up to step 3.
- Punch down the dough and turn out onto an oiled bench, pressing out into a rough 25cm x 18cm rectangle. Sprinkle over two-thirds of the olives and rosemary. Fold over to enclose the filling and place the dough onto the paper in the air fryer basket, gently pressing to the edges. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour, until puffed and bubbly.
- Drizzle the top with the remaining oil. Use your fingertips to create deep dimples and press in remaining olives and rosemary. Sprinkle the top with salt flakes.
- Place the focaccia in the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes at 190°C, or until the top is golden. Carefully lift and turn the focaccia. Return to the air fryer for 4-5 minutes, until the base is golden.
Test Kitchen tips for success
The focaccia is a high hydration bread dough. When handling the dough, lightly oil your hands so it doesn’t stick to your fingers, especially for the flavoured focaccias.
Air fryer models vary significantly in power so check on the focaccia 10 minutes into the baking time. If the top is getting too dark, drop the temperature slightly.
Focaccia is best eaten warm on the day it is made. It’s also great for making sandwiches or toasties or split in half and used as a base for a pizza.
