Focaccia Bread Recipe

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Uncover the secrets and techniques to creating focaccia bread, enhanced with the strong style of tomatoes and olives. The bread’s crispy exterior and chewy inside will make it a favourite in your kitchen.

Italian Focaccia with tomatoes, olives, and rosemary.

Focaccia bread, a staple of Italian delicacies, carries the essence of the Mediterranean with each chew. Recognized for its olive oil-infused texture, golden crust, and herbs, this flatbread has gained the hearts of bread fans worldwide. The recipe I’m sharing is exclusive as a result of I’ve included tomatoes and olives, which add depth and complexity to the normal Focaccia. The saltiness of the olives, mixed with the candy and tangy style of the tomatoes, creates one rattling wonderful piece of crusty bread! When you’ve bought the dangle of it, you’ll end up making it over and over!

What Is Focaccia Bread?

The origins of Focaccia bread could be traced again to historical occasions, with numerous cultures placing their distinctive spin on this bread. In historical Rome, “panis focacius” was a flatbread cooked on a fire or hearth, and its identify seemingly derives from the Latin phrase “focus,” which means fireside.

Focaccia is such an important and simple bread to make. It may be made thick or skinny, crunchy on high or not, however it’s virtually at all times comfortable within the middle. I like mine baked to a pleasant golden brown with coarse salt and different savory components sprinkled on high and served with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Traditional Italian Focaccia bread topped with tomatoes, olives, and rosemary.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Versatility: Serve this bread as an appetizer, a facet dish, or perhaps a predominant course. Focaccia pairs fantastically with salads, soups, and numerous entrées.
Customizable: The fundamental recipe is just the start. You’ll be able to experiment with completely different toppings like caramelized onions, minced garlic, shredded Parmesan, or recent herbs to make it your individual.
Easy Elements: Made with pantry staples like bread flour, olive oil, yeast, and coarse salt, this recipe doesn’t require any unique or hard-to-find components.
Texture Perfection: With a golden crust on the skin and a comfortable, chewy inside, this focaccia affords a texture that’s irresistible. The dimpling approach ensures the olive oil and toppings infuse each chew.

How To Make Focaccia Bread

This nice recipe tailored from one I found way back is straightforward to make and scrumptious with no matter you select to placed on it. I don’t embrace measurements for the toppings as a result of you’ll be able to add no matter quantities you want—some individuals like just a few components scattered on high, and a few prefer it piled excessive. Bear in mind to scroll down the web page to the recipe card for full recipe directions.

Elements For Focaccia

fast rising dry yeast
heat water
sugar
bread flour
coarse salt
olive oil
cornmeal
toppings: olives, sun-dried or roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and many others…

Close-up overhead image of dimpled focaccia dough.

Instructions

Put together the Dough: Proof the yeast within the bowl of a stand mixer by combining it with the sugar and heat water. Stir to dissolve. Let stand for 3 minutes. Incorporate bread flour and blend with the dough hook attachment. The dough needs to be clean and elastic.
Form and Let Rise: Kind the dough right into a spherical and let it rise till doubled in dimension.
Put together the Pan: Grease a jelly roll pan with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Add Toppings: Roll and stretch the dough, then dimple along with your fingertips. Add olive oil, coarse salt, slow-roasted tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and any optionally available toppings you want.
Bake: Bake at 400˚F for 15 to twenty minutes or till browned on high.

Ideas For Focaccia Success

Making selfmade focaccia could be a enjoyable expertise, and listed here are some further ideas to make sure success!

Bread Flour: Bread flour is usually utilized in focaccia for its larger protein content material, which creates a chewier texture. In the event you can’t discover bread flour, all-purpose flour could be a substitute, however the texture could fluctuate barely.
Use Heat Water: That is necessary; the water should be heat, between 105˚F and 115˚F, to create the proper setting to activate the yeast, setting the stage for a profitable rise and a textured bread.
Persistence with Rising: Permitting the dough to double in dimension is important for a lightweight, ethereal texture.
Kneading Method: Whether or not kneading by hand or utilizing a mixer, attaining the correct texture is vital. The dough needs to be clean, elastic, and barely sticky. If kneading by hand, utilizing a pushing and folding movement will help develop the gluten construction.
Dimpling Method: Earlier than baking, use your fingertips to create dimples within the dough. This not solely provides texture but additionally permits the olive oil and toppings to permeate the bread.
High quality Elements: Utilizing sun-dried tomatoes or fastidiously slow-roasting your individual can improve the flavour.
Customization: Be happy to mess around with the toppings. Add minced garlic, recent herbs, or shredded Parmesan for an additional punch of taste.
Keep away from Overcrowding with Toppings: Whereas it’s tempting to load up on scrumptious toppings, too many could make the bread soggy. A balanced method will end in the most effective texture and taste.

Overhead image of cut up focaccia arranged on a gray wooden board.

How To Serve Focaccia

Focaccia is flexible; it may be paired with numerous dishes and dips. Right here’s how one can get pleasure from it:

Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar: Serve your focaccia with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The wealthy, fruity olive oil mixed with the tangy sweetness of balsamic vinegar creates a dipping sauce that enhances the bread’s flavors.
With Soup or Salad: Focaccia makes a superb facet to hearty soups or recent salads. Strive it with my White Bean Soup and this Tomato Salad.
As a Sandwich Base: Use it as a base for sandwiches, crammed along with your favourite chilly cuts, cheeses, and greens for a Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Alongside Pasta: Serve it with pasta dishes like my Chicken Pasta Primavera!
With Cheese and Charcuterie: Create a easy but elegant appetizer by serving focaccia with a collection of cheeses, cured meats, and olives.
As a Pizza Various: Prime with recent tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, then briefly bake for a fast and engaging focaccia pizza.

Traditional Italian Focaccia with tomatoes, olives

Storage

If the focaccia is barely topped with olive oil and herbs, you’ll be able to hold it at room temperature sealed in a ziplock bag or in an hermetic container. Nevertheless, if the focaccia is like mine right here, topped with tomatoes and olives, then you definately’ll need to hold it within the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

ENJOY!

Prep Time 1 hour

Prepare dinner Time 20 minutes

Complete Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Proof the yeast within the bowl of a stand mixer by combining it with the sugar and heat water. Stir to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes or till foam seems.
Utilizing a dough hook attachment, flip the mixer on low and slowly add the flour to the bowl.
Dissolve the salt in 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the bowl whereas the mixer is operating.
Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil.
When the dough begins to come back collectively, enhance the velocity to medium.
Combine till the dough is clean and elastic, about 10 minutes, including flour as mandatory.
End up the dough onto a piece floor and fold over itself just a few occasions.
Kind the dough right into a spherical and place it in an oiled bowl; flip to coat your entire ball with oil.
Cowl with a moist towel and let it rise in a heat spot till doubled in dimension, about 45 minutes.
Grease a jelly roll pan with olive oil and sprinkle it with corn meal.
As soon as the dough is doubled and domed, flip it out onto the counter.
Roll and stretch the dough out to an rectangular form about 1/2-inch thick.
Place dough on the pan and canopy with plastic wrap. Let relaxation for quarter-hour.
Uncover the dough and dimple it along with your fingertips.
Brush the floor with extra olive oil after which add your toppings.
Bake for 15 to twenty minutes or till browned on high.
Take away from oven and switch onto a cooling rack; let stand a couple of minutes earlier than slicing and serving.

Select the Proper Flour: Bread flour is usually utilized in focaccia for its larger protein content material, which creates a chewier texture. In the event you can’t discover bread flour, all-purpose flour could be a substitute, however the texture could fluctuate barely.
Monitor Water Temperature: The water used to proof the yeast needs to be heat however not sizzling, normally between 105°F to 115°F (37°C to 43°C). If the water is just too sizzling, it may well kill the yeast, whereas if it’s too cool, the yeast could not activate.
Kneading Method: Whether or not kneading by hand or utilizing a mixer, attaining the correct texture is vital. The dough needs to be clean, elastic, and barely sticky. If kneading by hand, utilizing a pushing and folding movement will help develop the gluten construction.
Correct Rising Surroundings: Place the dough in a heat and draft-free spot to rise. In case your kitchen is cool, you’ll be able to create a heat setting by turning on the oven for a minute or two, then turning it off and putting the dough inside to rise.
Use Recent Yeast: If utilizing energetic dry or rapid-rising yeast, make sure that it’s recent, as expired or outdated yeast can fail to rise.
Dimpling Method: Earlier than baking, use your fingertips to create dimples within the dough. This not solely provides texture but additionally permits the olive oil and toppings to permeate the bread.
High quality Olive Oil: Since olive oil is a major taste in focaccia, utilizing further virgin olive oil of fine high quality will improve the style.
Experiment with Toppings: Don’t be afraid to get inventive along with your toppings. Along with the basic ones, you might strive roasted greens, completely different cheeses, or perhaps a sprinkling of sea salt flakes.
Watch the Baking Time: Oven temperatures can fluctuate, so regulate the focaccia because it bakes. Search for a golden-brown crust and use the baking time within the recipe as a suggestion somewhat than a strict rule.
Enable to Cool Earlier than Reducing: Let the focaccia relaxation for a couple of minutes after it comes out of the oven. Reducing into it whereas it’s too sizzling could trigger it to develop into gummy.
Serve Recent or Reheat Correctly: Focaccia is finest loved recent, however if in case you have leftovers, reheat them within the oven somewhat than the microwave to keep up the feel.
Keep away from Overcrowding with Toppings: Whereas it’s tempting to load up on scrumptious toppings, too many could make the bread soggy. A balanced method will end in the most effective texture and taste.

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