Vegan Focaccia Bread Recipe | Easy Herbed Focaccia

This vegan focaccia recipe creates a delicious, herbed bread. It’s easy to make and well worth your time (of which most is simply letting the dough rise).

Focaccia is soft bread with a beautiful, light crust and can be topped with anything you like. With some simple herbs, this focaccia lets its basic ingredients shine.

Skill: Intermediate | Time: 2 hrs 50 min | Servings: 12

Sign up for the Veg Out newsletter to get vegan recipes and nutrition content from a Registered Dietitian!

This post contains affiliate links (including Amazon Associates) and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Is Focaccia Bread Vegan?

Most focaccia recipes are vegan! Focaccia is traditionally made with vegan ingredients, unlike some other bread recipes that use dairy or eggs. The only non-vegan ingredient I’ve seen in this type of bread is honey (which you can easily replace).

Apart from the bread base, you should also consider the focaccia toppings since some recipes add dairy or meat. Simply choose your favorite herbs and veggies instead and you’ll have a tasty vegan focaccia.

Ingredients and Substitutions for Herbed Focaccia

This recipe uses simple ingredients that you likely have on hand. You could make a few substitutions, but don’t change the recipe too much.

• All-purpose flour: For a soft focaccia that’s more traditional, use all-purpose flour exclusively. It creates a soft bread that rises with large bubbles. In the past I’ve mixed in up to 1 C of whole wheat flour. This adds density to the bread and creates a different flavor profile. It’s still tasty, but not super traditional. I don’t recommend using only whole wheat flour as the bread would be extremely dense and chewy.
• Lukewarm water: To activate yeast you’ll need lukewarm water (which is about 100 F). It should feel warm to the touch without giving off any steam.
• Agave or maple syrup: I typically use agave syrup to activate the yeast, but maple syrup, sugar or brown sugar all work too. You absolutely need sugar to activate yeast. Other types of sweeteners that don’t contain sugar (ex. stevia, monk fruit extract, erythritol, etc.) won’t work.
• Active dry yeast: Yeast is the key ingredient to create a delicious, fluffy bread. Activate it with lukewarm water and some type of sugar.
• Olive oil: Use olive oil to keep your dough from sticking to the bowl while it rises and to coat the bread before baking. It adds a delicious flavor and some needed moisture. Dipping focaccia in olive oil and balsamic vinegar is also delicious!
• Salt: As with the olive oil, use salt in the bread and as a topping. In the bread it adds flavor; as a topping it’s completely optional (but elevates the flavor even more).
• Cornmeal: This is completely optional. Sprinkle some cornmeal onto your baking tray before placing the focaccia dough on it. Cornmeal creates a crusty texture on the bottom of the bread that I quite enjoy.
• Fresh thyme or other herbs: Top the focaccia with any fresh or dry herbs you like! I use fresh thyme in this recipe. Some fresh herbs, like basil or parsley, should only be added at the end of the cooking process as they won’t hold up in a hot oven.

How to Make Focaccia Bread: Instructions, Video Tutorial and Tips

This recipe is easy enough to make. Kneading and baking bread can be intimidating, but it’s a great skill to learn. Nothing beats fresh, homemade bread!

Step 1: Activate Yeast

Activating yeast is an important first step for bread recipes that use yeast.

Yeast needs warm water and some type of sugar to activate. For sugar, I use agave or maple syrup. The water should be lukewarm, which feels warm to the touch but doesn’t release steam.

Place your lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl along with syrup or another type of sugar and stir to combine. Then, sprinkle yeast on top of the sugary water mixture. You don’t need to stir in the yeast, but you can if you like.

Let this sit for 5-10 minutes to activate, at which point you should end up with a foamy mixture. If the yeast doesn’t foam after 10 minutes, you need new yeast (the yeast is dead and won’t work).

Step 2: Make Dough and Let Rise

When the yeast activates, add salt, olive oil and flour to the yeast mixture.

Stir until you can’t stir anymore. At this point, dump your dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.

Begin kneading the dough until it comes together and feels smooth. The dough will be slightly tacky (lightly sticking to hands and the countertop). If it feels too sticky to knead properly, add some extra flour, about 1-2 tablespoon at a time.

The dough should take about 5 minutes to knead to smooth.

You can use a stand mixer with a dough-hook attachment for this recipe. Simply activate the yeast in your stand mixer bowl, then add the flour, salt and olive oil. Use a medium-speed setting until the dough comes together, then let it knead for a few minutes. Some dough will stick to the edges but will ultimately firm into a ball. Add extra flour as needed to achieve this (1-2 tablespoon at a time).

Lightly oil your mixing bowl with some extra olive oil, then shape the dough into a ball and return to your bowl. Lightly oil the surface of your dough too; this ensures the dough won’t dry out while rising.

Place a clean kitchen towel over the bowl, then let your dough rise in a warm place until it’s at least doubled in size. This takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes.

The time it takes for the dough to rise often depends on the temperature of your room.

Step 3: Shape Bread and Let Rise

Once the dough rises once, prep a baking tray with a silicone mat (or parchment paper) for easy clean up.

I like to sprinkle cornmeal onto this baking tray because it adds a lightly crunchy texture to the bottom of focaccia bread. It tastes more like pizza crust, which is nice if you’re going all-out with toppings! You can skip the cornmeal if you don’t want it though.

Dump the risen dough from your bowl onto a prepared baking tray, then shape it into a rectangle that’s about 1-1 ½ inches thick. The thicker you leave it, the thicker your focaccia will be. Focaccia is typically a flatter shape.

Dimple the top of your dough by pressing into it lightly with your fingers. Don’t press all the way to the bottom of your pan, only go about halfway into the bread.

Once shaped and dimpled, cover your focaccia dough with the kitchen towel and let rise again. Leave this until it’s doubled in size, another 45 – 90 minutes.

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Once the dough has risen a second time, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Remove the kitchen towel from your focaccia and begin topping it. I like to drizzle or gently brush olive oil across the top, then add some sea salt and fresh thyme for a simple and delicious focaccia.

You can use any toppings you like, just be gentle when placing them on the dough as you don’t want to press into the bread.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top of your focaccia is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before slicing into it. Use a serrated knife for easy cutting.

How to Serve this Recipe: Create a Balanced Vegan Meal

Homemade bread is truly one of the most delicious foods, so enjoy it however you like!

If you’ll add this focaccia to a meal, include a good source of plant-based protein and some vegetables (or fruits). These pair well with the bread, which offers tasty carbohydrates.

If you don’t want a super balanced meal, dip the focaccia in some olive oil and high-quality balsamic vinegar! While it’s important to meet your vegan nutrient needs with a balanced diet, it’s fine to occasionally have less-than-balanced meals.

Focaccia Variations

You should follow the base of this recipe closely. However, you can get as creative as you like with the toppings!

Decorating focaccia bread is a fun way to add color, flavor and creativity into your cooking. Here are some tasty vegan focaccia topping ideas:

The possibilities are endless, so play around to find what you like best. It’s also fun to pair focaccia toppings with the flavors of a meal you’ll serve it with!

How to Store Leftovers

Cool leftover focaccia to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. You can leave on the counter for up to 2 days; longer than that and you should refrigerate it. This recipe can be frozen. Once cooled to room temperature, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. The bread should be okay frozen for up to 3 months.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please rate and comment below so others benefit from your experience.

More Intermediate Vegan Recipes

Join the Community for Vegan Recipes