Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary is an easy, delicious three ingredient appetizer, or a light lunch when you serve it with hummus! Pizza dough, kalamata olives and fresh rosemary bake up crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Pops of flavor from the briny, salty olives and woodsy rosemary transform a simple pizza dough into a standout dish.
Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary:
The next time you’re desperate for a quick, homemade meal or appetizer idea, think about premade pizza dough. Not only can you do the obvious and make a pizza, but how about some crispy, chewy on the inside focaccia with olives and rosemary? (Say yes!)
Focaccia is an Italian bread that can be an appetizer, a light lunch or your table bread for dinner. Unlike pizza, there’s no sauce and not a lot of toppings. It’s more like a flatbread with olive oil, herbs and sometimes other vegetables.
Focaccia is a great appetizer for entertaining too. Since it’s best right out of the oven, you can have everyone help with the toppings, pop it in the oven, then your guests can dive in and help themselves while you get drinks or dinner together. Serve it with hummus for a more substantial and totally delicious meal.
Three Ingredients:
Premade pizza dough can be found in most grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated section by the dairy or in the deli. I used a whole wheat dough because I like the extra flavor it gives, but use whatever kind of dough looks good to you.
In a pinch you can use the tube of pizza dough in the refrigerated section too. The texture will be less chewy and the flavor will be sweeter, but it works!
Since we’re going for fast and easy here, choose your toppings for maximum flavor. This way you have less work and prep time. I thought kalamata olives and fresh rosemary would fit the bill perfectly, and they’re also a classic combination.
Kalamata olives are the ones you get when you order a delicious Greek salad. They have a nice, briny, salty bite and more flavor than a basic black olive. Get them pitted if at all possible, it’ll make your life much easier. The fresh rosemary compliments the Mediterranean flavor of the olives. If you’ve ever thought about trying to grow your own herbs, start with rosemary. I have a rosemary plant in my back yard, and it’s still alive, even with my not green thumb!
I never count the olive oil, kosher salt and pepper in my three ingredient recipes. If you haven’t made any of the previous three ingredient appetizers, part of the rules (completely made up by me, feel free to break them) are that these basic ingredients are freebies. Almost everyone has olive oil, salt and pepper in their cupboard, right?
Making the Divets:
The focaccia will be ready from start to finish in about 45 minutes. The beauty is that most of that time can be spent checking your email or otherwise pretending to be really busy. You can relax as you’re preheating the oven and letting the dough rest. All you need to do is take the pizza dough out of the bag and let it rest on a floured cutting board for about 30 minutes.
You can also use five minutes of this time to chop your olives and rosemary. Really, that’s all the prep work you’ve got! I like to chop the rosemary fairly finely to keep it’s big flavor from overwhelming the other ingredients. I like to quarter the olives to keep their size consistent and make sure you get a piece in each bite.
Once the dough is rested the fun part begins! Take the dough in your hands and gently start stretching it out. If it gets sticky, press it into the leftover flour from the cutting board. Once the dough is in a rough oval shape, place it on a well oiled baking sheet. Keep stretching it (carefully) until it’s even and about a 1/4 inch thick. Use your fingertips and press into the dough until you see little divets.
The divets will help keep the dough from bubbling up as it bakes, and they look pretty too.
Next you’ll sprinkle the toppings on. Start with the rosemary and olives, lightly pressing them into the dough. Finish the dough with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. It’s important to use kosher salt here because the bigger salt flakes will give a delicious crunch to the finished focaccia.
Now pop that beautiful dough into the oven! In a short 8 to 10 minutes you will have perfectly browned, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside focaccia with olives and rosemary to share (or not) with your family and friends.
When the focaccia is slightly cooled, chop it into squares. I like to use my handy mezzaluna chopper for this. It’s the same tool I use for pizza and even desserts like bars and peanut butter chocolate krispie treats!
The Payoff:
The focaccia is even better with hummus served on the side. It goes perfectly with the other Mediterranean flavors! It also makes a complete meal for lunch, or a really good snack.
Focaccia with olives and rosemary is best eaten the day you make it, preferably right out of the oven!
Crispy, salty, herby, chewy…
And plenty to share!
Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary is an easy, delicious three ingredient appetizer or light lunch! Pizza dough, kalamata olives and fresh rosemary bake up crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Pops of flavor from the briny, salty olives and woodsy rosemary transform a simple pizza dough into a standout dish.
Ingredients
- 1 1 lb bag of premade pizza dough (or homemade if you’d rather)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup quartered kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for the baking sheet)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1-2 tablespoons olive oil on baking sheet to coat the pan.
- If using refrigerated pizza dough, remove from bag and set on a floured cutting board. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
- After 30 minutes start to stretch the dough in your hands, pressing into the flour if it gets too sticky. Once you’ve got the dough in a rough oval shape, place it on your oiled baking sheet and continue to stretch the dough (try not to tear it!). When the dough is mostly even and about a 1/4 inch thick, use your fingertips to press divets into the dough.
- Sprinkle the rosemary and kalamata olives on the dough, pressing them in lightly.
- Evenly sprinkle on two tablespoons of olive oil, then the salt and pepper.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until browned and crisp on the edges. Cut into squares and serve with hummus if desired.
Notes
This focaccia is best eaten the same day it’s made, preferably right out of the oven!
