Muffin Tin Focaccia Dinner Rolls
Focaccia is probably on my top 10 list of all-time favorite foods! It’s crispy and perfectly oiled on the outside and pillow-soft in the middle! Um yum! I crafted this focaccia recipe to bake individual muffin tin focaccia dinner rolls.
The muffin tin dinner roll method means 1) every piece of focaccia is an end piece (the best most flavorful pieces of the focaccia) and 2) easy individual servings are ready to grab and go, meal prep, or freeze! Also, you can vary your toppings piece by piece!
This is one of my absolute favorite ways to make focaccia.
How to Make Muffin Tin Focaccia Bread
Muffin tin focaccia is super easy to make!
Activate the Yeast
- Add warm water, sugar, and yeast to a bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Give the mixture a little stir and set it aside to foam (about 10 minutes).
Prep the Flour
- As the yeast is activating, get out a large bowl and add the flour and salt to the bowl. Give the flour and salt a little stir.
- Once the yeast is active, pour the yeast into the bowl with the flour and salt.
- Then add the olive oil to the dough.
Knead the Dough
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix and combine the mixture until it forms a workable dough. Start to knead the dough inside of the bowl. Using floured hands gently knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes into a ball in a loose bowl shape (the ball will not be firm but should stick together in a general shape). The mixture should be sticky but should also keep most of its shape. If the mixture is too dry add a few tsps of olive oil, if the mixture is too wet add a tablespoon at a time of flour (remember the dough will be a bit sticky).
- Prep your muffin tin. Add about 1/2 tsp (or up to 1 tsp if you like really oily focaccia) of olive oil to each individual cup. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Place a ball of dough in each muffin tin, and then flip it so that the top and the bottom of the dough are all greased with the olive oil. Dimple the dough, by pressing your fingers into the dough.
Let the Dough Raise & Add Toppings
- Place a damp, clean towel over the top of the filled muffin tin and place it in a warm place as the dough rises. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- After an hour, remove the towel and dimple the dough again. Place the damp towel back on top and rest the dough for another 20 minutes.
- While the dough is on its second proof, preheat your oven to 425℉.
- After the 20 minutes have passed, remove the towel, and dimple the dough again. Add toppings to the dough if desired. We like to add additional flaky salt, halved cherry tomatoes, halved olives, or a sprinkle of parmesan to the tops of ours.
Bake Your Focaccia
- Bake the dough for 15-20 minutes at 425℉.
- Remove the rolls from the muffin tin to cool on a cooling rack when they are done.
- Enjoy!
The Ingredients
The best part of focaccia, in my opinion, is the accessibility of the ingredients. No need for any fancy flours or specialty ingredients. In fact, it only takes 5 ingredients to make these easy dinner rolls in a muffin tin!
- warm water
- Please note that your water should be warmed to 110℉. This is a crucial step in activating the yeast. Too hot, and the yeast will die, but too cold and yeast will not cause the dough to rise as quickly.
- sugar
- Sugar helps to stimulate the yeast to start activating. It speeds up the fermentation.
- dry active yeast
- You can get your yeast in packets or in bulk. If you are using a packet of yeast you will have 1/4 tsp left over in this recipe. I typically buy my yeast in bulk–if you bake a lot it’s a great bargain. Yeast can last for up to 2 years. I keep mine in a glass jar in my fridge to extend its life even further.
- all-purpose flour
- Focaccia is made without any fancy flour. You will want to use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- olive oil
- Don’t sub another oil or butter in this recipe. You definitely need to use olive oil. It provides the best, most authentic taste. You can definitely use the cheap bottle at Aldi or Walmart, just make sure to use olive oil in those muffin tin focaccia.
- flaky salt
- I get it, flaky salt is kinda of a splurge, but it lasts for SO long. And in my opinion–it’s totally worth it. It will elevate any dish. I am saying this as someone who was skeptical of this ingredient for a while. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it also has a great mouthfeel, and the best salty taste and texture. Trust me, just go for it. If you are a home cook, I 1000% think it’s a great ingredient to elevate your dishes.
- If you don’t have any flaky salt, I suggest using a salt grinder and setting it to a coarser grid.
The Best Muffin Tin Focaccia Toppings
The best part about muffin tin focaccia is that you can customize the individual dinner rolls to have any toppings you like. This is great in my family because while I ADORE kalamata olives on my focaccia–my husband isn’t the biggest fan. But no worries–you can vary your toppings up as you please.
Here are some of my favorite toppings:
- an additional sprinkle of flaky salt
- a sprinkle of parmesan cheese
- sliced kalamata olives
- sliced cherry tomatoes
- fresh rosemary + flaky salt
- roasted garlic
- caramelized onion and garlic
- prosciutto
- play around with other ingredients!
What To Serve with Muffin Tin Focaccia
Muffin tin focaccia is super flexible and SUCH a good bread side dish! We love to eat ours with a bit of bruschetta on top or just by themselves!
- The Best Zucchini Lasagna with Sausage (Not Soggy & Quick)
- Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Bruschetta
- Greek Lemon Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven
Muffin Tin Focaccia Dinner Rolls
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup warm water warmed to 110℉
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar or honey
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp flaky salt
Instructions
- Add warm water, sugar, and yeast to a bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Give the mixture a little stir and set it aside to foam (about 10 minutes).
- As the yeast is activating, get out a large bowl and add the flour and salt to the bowl. Give the flour and salt a little stir.
- Once the yeast is active, pour the yeast into the bowl with the flour and salt.
- Then add the olive oil to the dough.
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix and combine the mixture until it forms a workable dough. Start to knead the dough inside of the bowl. Using floured hands gently knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes into a ball in a loose bowl shape (the ball will not be firm but should stick together in a general shape). The mixture should be sticky but should also keep most of its shape. If the mixture is too dry add a few tsps of olive oil, if the mixture is too wet add a tablespoon at a time of flour (remember the dough will be a bit sticky).
- Prep your muffin tin. Add about 1/2 tsp (or up to 1 tsp if you like really oily focaccia) of olive oil to each individual cup. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Place a ball of dough in each muffin tin, and then flip it so that the top and the bottom of the dough are all greased with the olive oil. Dimple the dough, by pressing your fingers into the dough.
- Place a damp, clean towel over the top of the filled muffin tin and place it in a warm place as the dough rises. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- After an hour, remove the towel and dimple the dough again. Place the damp towel back on top and rest the dough for another 20 minutes.
- While the dough is on its second proof, preheat your oven to 425℉.
- After the 20 minutes have passed, remove the towel, and dimple the dough again. Add toppings to the dough if desired. We like to add additional flaky salt, halved cherry tomatoes, halved olives, or a sprinkle of parmesan to the tops of ours.
- Bake the dough for 15-20 minutes at 425℉.
- Remove the rolls from the muffin tin to cool on a cooling rack when they are done.
- Enjoy!
Servings: 12 rolls
