How to Store Focaccia Bread: 2 Ways to Keep Focaccia Fresh

Focaccia is a type of bread that you bake in oil-coated sheet pans to yield an olive oil-infused flavor, chewy texture, and dimpled, crispy exterior dotted with dimples. This Italian flatbread comes with a variety of toppings, the most traditional ones being fresh rosemary, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, and sea salt.

Most focaccia bread recipes call for a number of pantry staple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, including all-purpose flour, extra virgin olive oil, and active dry yeast. You can even use leftover pizza dough to make your favorite focaccia recipe. Enjoy focaccia as an antipasto side dish, sandwich bread, or simply dip it in good olive oil and seasonings.

The best way to store focaccia bread is either to store it at room temperature—if you’ll be eating it within a couple of days—or to freeze it, which will keep the bread fresh for up to a month. Only refrigerate your focaccia bread if it contains perishable ingredients like cheese or meat; you can leave a simple rosemary focaccia unrefrigerated.

• Room temperature: The best way to store fresh Italian focaccia bread is to wrap it in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature. Cut your loaf of bread into smaller pieces to make it easier to work with. Wrap your bread pieces in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Then, store it in a plastic bag. Homemade focaccia bread will keep for two or three days if you use this method.
• Freezer: Cut your focaccia into squares and flash-freeze it. Place your bread pieces on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet so that they have space in between them. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for up to two hours. Wrap the frozen focaccia pieces in plastic wrap, place them in freezer bags, and store them in the freezer for up to one month.

Here are three different methods for reheating focaccia bread.

• Oven: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow frozen bread to defrost at room temperature for a few hours in its wrapping before you start to work with it. You can start working with fresh focaccia immediately. Unwrap the bread and place it on a lined baking sheet or sheet pan. Mist the focaccia dough with warm water using a spray bottle. Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven and reheat for six to eight minutes, until the crust looks golden brown. If there are any exposed or cut edges, cover them with aluminum foil to keep the inside of the bread soft and the outside crispy.
• Microwave: This is the quickest way to reheat a piece of focaccia bread the next day, because it requires no prep time. Wrap the bread in a piece of damp paper towel and put it in the microwave for thirty seconds. Check the bread and repeat until the bread is no longer frozen. The microwave won't crisp the crust of the bread, and it will have a chewy texture.
• Toaster: You can also reheat squares of fresh or frozen focaccia in the standard toaster. Simply cut the slice so it will fit in your toaster. Set the toaster to a medium setting. This will make your focaccia much crispier than the microwave.

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