Troubleshooting
Focaccia With a Hard, Tough, or Chewy Crust
When the crust turns leathery or rock-hard instead of crisp-then-tender, look at bake length, oil, and how you stored it.
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-07
Quick answer
A tough crust usually means over-baking or too little oil; a crust that hardens after cooling usually means it was stored uncovered and staled. Bake to a deep gold and 96°C internal but no longer, oil the top generously, and once cooled, wrap focaccia to keep the crust from going leathery.
Crisp is good, hard is not
Focaccia should have a base that is crisp and a top that is lightly crisp giving way to a tender, oil-rich crumb. A crust that is genuinely hard — the kind you have to saw through, or that is chewy and leathery — has gone wrong somewhere between the oven and the plate.
Distinguish the two: an appealing crisp shatters and yields; a tough crust resists. The causes below turn one into the other.
Over-baking and a dry oven
Left in too long, the crust thickens, dries, and hardens well past pleasant crispness. Pull the focaccia at a deep, even gold and about 96°C (205°F) internal rather than baking to a very dark, brittle shell.
A very dry oven exaggerates this. Focaccia does not usually need steam, but an extremely dry, prolonged bake can leatherize the top. Getting in and out at the right doneness matters more than any steam trick.
Oil keeps the top supple
Oil on the surface is what gives focaccia its glossy, tender-crisp top instead of a dry, hard one. Too little oil before baking, and the top dries into a tougher crust. A confident drizzle over the dimpled dough — sometimes with a little flaky salt — keeps the surface rich and crisp rather than hard.
For an especially soft top, some bakers brush the just-baked focaccia with a little more oil while it is hot; it soaks in and keeps the crust from setting hard.
Storage after cooling
A focaccia that was perfect out of the oven but turned hard over a few hours was stored badly. Left uncovered, the crust dries and toughens as it stales. Once fully cooled, wrap it or keep it in a paper bag inside a loose plastic bag so the crust stays pleasant.
To bring a hardened crust back, warm the focaccia in a hot oven for a few minutes, ideally with a light brush of oil. Heat re-crisps the base and softens a leathery top back toward its original texture.
Frequently asked
- How do I keep focaccia crust crisp but not hard?
- Bake to a deep gold and 96°C internal (not darker), oil the top well, cool it on a rack, and wrap it once cooled. Reheat briefly in a hot oven to re-crisp without over-drying.
- Why did my focaccia crust get hard after it cooled?
- It staled uncovered. The crust dries and toughens in the air. Wrap cooled focaccia, and refresh a hardened piece by warming it in a hot oven for a few minutes.
- Does focaccia need steam in the oven?
- Generally no — unlike crusty artisan loaves, focaccia relies on oil rather than steam. Just avoid over-baking, which is the main cause of an overly hard crust.