My ex-wife had a Le Creuset dish she used to make focaccia in. When she left, she took it with her. I can't say I blame her — it was a beautiful thing. What I can say is that a cast iron pan does the job just as well, produces a better bottom crust, and comes without the emotional baggage.

I have two cast iron pans — a 20cm and a 25cm — which means I can make focaccia for one, two, or a small gathering, depending on who's coming for dinner. Or whether anyone is coming for dinner at all.

The cast iron focaccia recipe itself is straightforward. The technique is where it gets intriguing.

Why Cast Iron Makes Better Focaccia

Cast iron holds heat like nothing else. Where a standard baking tin warms up gradually and unevenly, cast iron reaches temperature and stays there — and that consistent, intense heat from below is exactly what focaccia needs. The result is a bottom crust that is genuinely crisp, deeply golden, and substantial enough to hold the bread together when you tear into it.

It also goes from hob to oven without complaint, which opens up a useful trick I'll come to shortly.

The Fried Bottom — Why the Oil Matters

The fried bottom is what sets a cast iron focaccia apart from anything made in a standard tin.

Don't be shy with the olive oil in the pan. You aren't greasing it — you are essentially shallow-frying the base of the bread. Pour enough oil to coat the bottom generously, and when the dough goes in, it should sit in it rather than on it. During baking, that oil heats up and fries the underside to a crisp, golden crust that contrasts beautifully with the soft, airy interior above it.

If you want to give the bottom crust a head start, place the oiled pan on a medium hob flame for two minutes before it goes into the oven. The oil should be hot and shimmering — not smoking. That two minutes makes a noticeable difference.

Harina de Fuerza — the Right Flour for the Job

Harina de fuerza is Spanish strong bread flour, and if you are baking in Spain, it is exactly what you need. It has a high protein content which develops the gluten structure that gives focaccia its characteristic open, chewy crumb. You'll find it in any Spanish supermarket — Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl — usually in 1kg bags and at a price that won't trouble the budget.

If you are baking in the UK, any strong white bread flour will do the same job.

The Dimple Secret

Most focaccia recipes tell you to dimple the dough. What they don't always tell you is how deep to go. The answer is: all the way. Press your oiled fingers firmly into the dough until you feel the bottom of the pan. Don't be tentative about it.

Those deep wells serve a purpose. They are where the olive oil pools, where the garlic slices and rosemary needles settle, and where the Maldon salt catches and concentrates. A shallow dimple gives you a decorative surface. A deep dimple gives you flavour.

Cast Iron Focaccia — Two Pan Sizes

A 20cm cast iron pan makes a focaccia that will feed one generously or two modestly. A 25cm pan gives you something more substantial — enough for two or three, or one person with ambitions. The recipe scales simply between the two: roughly 250g of flour for the smaller pan, 300g for the larger.

The beauty of cast iron is that both pans behave identically in the oven. Same temperature, same technique, just a minute or two longer for the larger one. Keep an eye on it from the 15-minute mark and let the colour tell you when it's done.

Cast Iron Focaccia Recipe

This cast iron focaccia recipe calls for simple ingredients — the technique does the work.

Ingredients

• 300g strong bread flour (harina de fuerza)
• 225ml warm water
• 7g dried yeast
• 6g fine salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for the dough)
• 4 tbsp olive oil (for the pan and topping)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt

Method

1. Mix the yeast into the warm water and leave for 5 minutes until frothy.
2. Combine the flour and fine salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast water and 2 tbsp olive oil. Mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms — it will be quite wet and sticky. That's correct. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Pour the remaining olive oil into your cast iron pan — 20cm for one person, 25cm for two or more. Be generous. You want the bottom of the dough to sizzle in the oil as it bakes.
4. Place the dough into the oiled pan and turn it to coat. Stretch it gently towards the edges — it won't reach yet. Cover loosely with a damp cloth and leave to prove for 1–1.5 hours until it fills the pan and looks jiggly.
5. Heat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan). For a head start on the bottom crust, place the pan on a medium hob flame for 2 minutes before it goes in the oven. The oil should be hot and shimmering — not smoking.
6. With oiled fingers, dimple the dough firmly — push right down until you feel the bottom of the pan. Scatter the garlic and rosemary across the surface, pressing lightly into the dimples. Finish with the Maldon salt.
7. Bake for 18–22 minutes. Start checking through the oven glass at the 15-minute mark. If the top is browning too fast but the middle still looks wobbly, cover loosely with foil for the final few minutes.
8. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. The bottom should be deeply golden and crisp. Tear rather than slice.

Notes

Use a 20cm cast iron pan for one person (reduce flour to around 250g), or a 25cm pan for two or more (300g). The dough is intentionally wet – resist the urge to add more flour. Harina de fuerza is ideal and widely available in Spanish supermarkets. Plain focaccia without toppings is, frankly, a bit like eating cake.

This cast iron focaccia recipe is part of my Bread Recipes — The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection — sourdough, flatbreads, and everything in between. Explore the full collection.

Wonky photos, proper bread, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef