Focaccia Bread For Sandwiches 

Learn how to make homemade focaccia bread for sandwiches with a crisp golden crust and soft, airy interior. This easy overnight focaccia recipe creates the perfect sandwich bread for any filling.

Most people reach for a baguette or ciabatta when they want a serious sandwich bread, but focaccia might actually be the better choice. This recipe is built specifically for sandwiches, giving you a thick, crispy-bottomed loaf with an open, airy crumb that holds layers of meat, cheese, and toppings without falling apart. 

A cold ferment of 24 to 48 hours does most of the work, developing deep flavor with minimal hands-on time. Once it’s baked and cooled, slice it horizontally, and you have a sandwich bread that works for everything from casual weeknight meals to make-ahead lunches and entertaining spreads.

Why This Recipe Works

• Cold fermentation builds real flavor. Letting the dough ferment in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours gives the yeast time to develop complexity. The results are worth the wait.
• High-hydration dough creates the open crumb. This recipe uses significantly more water than typical bread doughs. That extra moisture, combined with the stretch-and-fold technique, is what produces those large air pockets inside.
• Bread flour gives the slices enough strength to hold up. The higher protein content builds a gluten network that keeps the crumb open and chewy without being fragile. When you slice it horizontally and load it with fillings, it holds together instead of tearing or compressing under the weight.

Ingredients

For the full recipe measurements in both grams and cups, jump to the recipe card below.

Focaccia Dough

• Bread flour or Pizza Flour
• Warm water
• Instant yeast
• Olive oil
• Honey
• Fine sea salt

For the Top

• Good quality Extra-virgin olive oil
• Dried rosemary
• Maldon flaky sea salt

Optional Toppings

• Roasted garlic cloves
• Roasted Red Peppers 
• Thinly sliced shallots or red onions
• Cherry tomatoes
• Olives
• Fresh herbs
• Grated parmesan cheese

Substitution notes:

No bread flour on hand? You can use all-purpose flour, but the protein content is lower, and the crumb won’t be quite as chewy. Bread flour is worth using here if you can find it.

Dried rosemary is the classic choice for focaccia, but other dried herbs work well too. Thyme, oregano, and Italian seasoning are all good options.

How to Make Focaccia Bread for Sandwiches

Day 1: Mix the Dough

I highly recommend using a scale to weigh the ingredients vs classic U.S customary measurements for the most accuracy if possible. Start by combining the warm water, instant yeast, honey, olive oil, and fine sea salt in a large bowl. Stir everything together by hand until it’s combined. Add the bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will look like a shaggy dough at this stage. That’s exactly right for a high-hydration dough like this. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. This short rest gives the flour time to fully absorb the water before you start folding.

Stretch and fold: After the rest, perform your first set of stretch-and-folds. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Reach under one side of the dough, pull it up, and fold it over the top. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Work your way around the dough until you’ve completed a full rotation. Cover and rest for another 15 minutes, then repeat a second set of stretch-and-folds. After the second fold, cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for one hour. Then transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator so the dough can rise and cold ferment for 24 to 48 hours. 

Day 2: Shape and Proof

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. This gives the dough a chance to relax and makes it much easier to work with.

Generously coat your 13×18-inch half-sheet pan with olive oil. Don’t hold back here. The oil on the bottom of the pan is part of what gives the focaccia its signature crispy underside. Gently transfer the dough to the prepared pan, working carefully to preserve the air bubbles that have developed during the ferment. Use your fingertips to stretch the focaccia dough toward the edges of the pan. If the dough resists and keeps snapping back, stop and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Then try again. The gluten just needs a break.

Cover the pan loosely and let the dough proof at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours. You’re looking for a noticeably puffy dough, covered in visible bubbles throughout, and that jiggles when you give the pan a gentle shake. If it doesn’t jiggle, it’s not ready.

Bake the Focaccia

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Just before baking, drizzle the surface of the dough generously with extra-virgin olive oil. Press deep dimples all over with your fingertips, going almost to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with dried rosemary and Maldon flaky sea salt. Add any optional toppings now if you’re using them.

Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown and the bottom is crisp. The bottom is easy to check by lifting one edge with a spatula. If it’s pale, give it a few more minutes.

Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Slicing too early means steam gets trapped, and the crumb becomes gummy. A little patience goes a long way here.

How to Use Focaccia as Sandwich Bread

Once your focaccia is baked, resist the urge to slice into it right away. Letting it rest for at least 1 hour after baking gives the crumb time to set, which makes it much easier to cut cleanly. Freshly baked bread is soft and delicate, and slicing too early can compress all those air pockets you worked to build.

When you’re ready to build sandwiches, here’s how to do it:

1. Allow the baked focaccia to cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack and let it sit for at least an hour before slicing.
2. Using a serrated knife, slice the focaccia horizontally through the center to create a top and bottom half, similar to a large sandwich roll.
3. Layer your favorite meats, cheeses, vegetables, spreads, and condiments over the bottom half of the bread.
4. Place the top half of the focaccia over the fillings and gently press down.
5. For individual sandwiches, cut into squares or rectangles using a sharp knife. Secure with toothpicks if desired before serving.
6. Serve immediately, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The focaccia also works well pressed in a panini press or warmed in the oven before serving.

Building a great focaccia sandwich: Spread a condiment on both cut sides first (I love spreads like my pistachio pesto or my calabrian chili paste). A little bit of olive oil, aioli, mustard, or a red wine vinegar vinaigrette keeps the inside from tasting dry and adds another layer of flavor. A touch of dry mustard mixed into mayo is a classic move. From there, layer deli meat, thin slices of cheese, and any vegetables you like. Roasted red peppers, sliced tomatoes, arugula, and fresh basil all work well with the olive oil flavor in the bread. Prosciutto with fresh mozzarella and roasted bell pepper is one of the best combinations you can put on focaccia.

Meal prep and make-ahead: Focaccia slices can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in airtight bags at room temperature for up to two days. For assembled sandwiches, wrap in parchment paper and then plastic wrap for easy transport. If you want to make sandwiches ahead of time, keep the wetter toppings like tomatoes or vinaigrette separate until you’re ready to eat so the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Pairings: Pair your sandwich with my traditional deli-style potato salad, a grinder salad, or my roasted red pepper tomato soup

Tips, Variations, and Storage

Proofing troubleshooting: The dough is properly proofed when it has visible bubbles throughout and jiggles when the pan is gently shaken. If your kitchen is cold, the proof may take closer to 4 hours. If it’s warm, check it at the 2-hour mark.

Toppings that hold up well for sandwiches: If you’re planning to use this focaccia as sandwich bread, stick to toppings that don’t add too much moisture to the surface. Roasted garlic, dried herbs, flaky sea salt, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil are the most reliable choices. Soft toppings like fresh tomatoes or olives are fine for eating on their own, but it can make it harder to slice them for sandwiches cleanly.

Storing the focaccia loaf: Store leftover focaccia at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days. For longer storage, wrap individual focaccia slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month. Reheat directly from frozen in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes.

More Recipes To Try

Garlic Bread Focaccia Recipe

Focaccia Pizza

Baked Mostaccioli

Italian Chicken Cutlets