Back for its 12th year, the King Arthur Baking Company Recipe of the Year (ROTY) has been announced and is here to make everyone a bread baker. This year, the company is taking on a beginner-friendly bread that will even have the advanced bakers swooning: Big and Bubbly Focaccia.

The 2025 ROTY has a bubbly, bronzed top, crisp edges and a tender, airy interior. Inspired by Martin Philip's focaccia in the company's Big Book of Bread, this recipe utilizes a largely hands-off folding technique (no kneading required) and all-purpose flour to create a bread with a tender interior and lofty rise.

What makes this focaccia special? Defining features:  

• Height – Perhaps the most distinct visual element of this recipe is its striking height. It pushes 2” where the bubbles are the tallest. This makes it a focaccia that’s ideal for splitting in half and turning into sandwiches, but it’s not so tall that it feels burdensome for a family of four to finish in an evening. It's the perfect serving size.
• Giant bubbles – The focaccia dough gets seriously marshmallow-y while it’s rising with big bubbles rising to the surface. These bubbles emerge further during the dimpling process, an enjoyably tactile experience for the baker. Little helpers will also love this step.
• Folding method – Instead of kneading, the focaccia recipe uses a series of folding with intermittent rest periods to build structure, which helps create the variable structure on the inside and interior holes that are larger than expected for focaccia.  
• Deeply flavorful but a same-day bake – This recipe can be on the table in under 4 hours, meaning you can mix up the dough in the afternoon and have the focaccia with dinner. Most focaccia recipes with this much flavor require overnight fermentation.  
• Crispy edges yet tender crumb – To ensure a contrast between the crunchy exterior and tender interior, the baked focaccia is turned out of the pan and slid back onto the oven rack to cool after baking. This also gives the focaccia gorgeous marks on the bottom that are reminiscent of grilling.
• Perfect ratio of olive oil and salt – The dough is well-seasoned with table salt for even distribution and balanced flavor in every bite, and then King Arthur offers a precise amount of flaky salt for garnishing, one that’s been determined by its Test Kitchen to bring savory, balanced flavor to the focaccia. The olive oil that’s used in the dough and pan is just enough to impart rich flavor without leaving behind puddles of oil or a grease slick on your cutting board.   

The recipe for Big and Bubbly Focaccia can be found on King Arthur’s website. Whether bakers are always trying different focaccia recipes or have a stand-by favorite, the company hopes they’ll make this recipe and join the conversation about this modern take on a cult classic.