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Discover the secrets to making focaccia bread, enhanced with the robust taste of tomatoes and olives. The bread’s crispy exterior and chewy interior will make it a favorite in your kitchen.
Serve this flavorful focaccia alongside a fresh tomato burrata salad, a bowl of warm tortellini soup, or as a side to your favorite pasta dishes!
Focaccia bread, a staple of Italian cuisine, carries the essence of the Mediterranean with every bite. Known for its olive oil-infused texture, golden crust, and herbs, this flatbread has won the hearts of bread enthusiasts worldwide. The focaccia recipe I am sharing is unique because I’ve incorporated tomatoes and olives, which add depth and layers to the traditional Focaccia. The saltiness of the olives combined with the sweet and tangy taste of the tomatoes creates one darn amazing piece of crusty bread! Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll find yourself making it over and over again!
What Is Focaccia?
The origins of Focaccia bread can be traced back to ancient times, with various cultures putting their unique spin on this bread. In ancient Rome, “panis focacius” was a flatbread cooked on a hearth or fireplace, and its name likely derives from the Latin word “focus,” meaning hearth.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Versatility: Serve this bread as an appetizer with garlic aioli for dipping, a side dish to spicy rigatoni vodka, or even a main course. It pairs with salads, soups, and various entrées.
- Customizable: The basic focaccia recipe is just the beginning. You can experiment with different toppings like caramelized onions, minced garlic, shredded Parmesan, or fresh herbs.
- Simple Ingredients: Made with staples like flour, olive oil, yeast, and coarse salt, this recipe doesn’t require any hard-to-find ingredients.
- Texture Perfection: A golden crust with a soft, chewy inside, this focaccia offers an irresistible texture. The dimpling technique ensures the olive oil and toppings infuse every bite.
How To Make Focaccia Bread
This great recipe adapted from one I discovered long ago is easy to make and delicious with whatever you choose to put on it. I don’t include measurements for the toppings because you can add whatever amounts you like—some people like a few ingredients scattered on top, and some like it piled high. For detailed instructions, scroll down the page to the recipe card.
- Prepare the Dough: Proof the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer by combining it with the sugar and warm water. Stir to dissolve. Let stand for 3 minutes. Incorporate bread flour and mix with the dough hook attachment. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
- Shape and Let Rise: Form the focaccia dough into a round and let it rise until doubled in size.
- Prepare the Pan: Grease a jelly roll pan with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Add Toppings: Roll and stretch the dough, then dimple with your fingertips. Add olive oil, coarse salt, slow-roasted tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and any optional toppings you desire.
- Bake: Bake the focaccia bread at 400˚F for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned on top.
Recipe Tips
- Flour: Bread flour is typically used in focaccia recipes for its higher protein content, which creates a chewier texture. If you can’t find bread flour, all-purpose flour can be a substitute, but the texture may vary slightly.
- Use Warm Water: The water must be warm, between 105˚F and 115˚F, to create the perfect environment to activate the yeast, setting the stage for a successful rise and a textured bread.
- Rise: Allowing the dough to double in size is essential for a light, airy texture.
- Kneading Technique: Whether kneading by hand or using a mixer, the dough should be smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. If kneading by hand, using a pushing and folding motion can help develop the gluten structure.
- Dimpling Technique: Before baking, use your fingertips to create dimples in the dough. This adds texture and allows the olive oil and toppings to permeate the focaccia bread.
- Customization: Add minced garlic, fresh herbs, or shredded Parmesan to the focaccia dough for an extra punch of flavor.
- Avoid Too Many Toppings: While it’s tempting to load up on delicious toppings, too many can make the bread soggy.
How To Serve
Focaccia can be paired with just a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It also makes an excellent side to my white bean soup and this tomato salad. Of course, you can also serve it with pasta dishes like my chicken pasta primavera. Lastly, create an appetizer by serving focaccia with a selection of cheeses, cured meats, and olives.
Proper Storage
- If the bread is only topped with olive oil and herbs, you can keep it at room temperature, sealed in a ziplock bag, or an airtight container. However, if the focaccia is topped with tomatoes and olives, then you’ll want to keep it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
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Focaccia Recipe
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 2 teaspoons rapid-rising dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3½ to 4 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- cornmeal, for dusting
For the Toppings
- olive oil
- coarse salt
- slow roasted tomatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- olives, pitted and chopped
Optional Toppings
- caramelized onions
- minced garlic
- shredded parmesan cheese
- fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Proof the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer by combining it with the sugar and warm water. Stir to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes or until foam appears.
- Using a dough hook attachment, turn 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 while the mixer is running.
- Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil.
- When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium.
- Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.
- Turn out the dough onto a work surface and fold over itself a few times.
- Form the dough into a round and place it in an oiled bowl; turn to coat the entire ball with oil.
- Cover with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Grease a jelly roll pan with olive oil and sprinkle it with corn meal.
- Once the dough is doubled and domed, turn it out onto the counter.
- Roll and stretch the dough out to an oblong shape about 1/2-inch thick.
- Place dough on the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Uncover the dough and dimple it with your fingertips.
- Brush the surface with more olive oil and then add your toppings.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned on top.
- Remove from oven and turn onto a cooling rack; let stand for several minutes before cutting and serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Flour: Bread flour is typically used in focaccia, but all-purpose flour can be a substitute.
- Experiment with Toppings: Get creative with your toppings, but also don’t overload them because it can make the bread soggy.
- Baking Time: Oven temperatures can vary, so keep an eye on the focaccia as it bakes. Look for a golden-brown crust and use the baking time in the recipe as a guideline rather than a strict rule.
- Cool Before Cutting: Let the focaccia rest after it comes out of the oven. Cutting into it while it’s too hot may cause it to become gummy.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Nice to meet you, Lorie! Your focaccia looks marvelous!
Delicious! What a great post….between you two it’s a match made in culinary heaven!
Love focaccia! Your photos are beautiful too!
Beautiful! You are so talented!
This looks soooo yummy! I love focaccia, and with the addition of olive oil? out of this world!
I really love that dipping bowl, too. Where I used to work, we sold ones just like it. They were imported from Italy from a woman who hand made them. They look awesome with a layer of balsamic sitting at the bottom.
Heck yea I do! Dip and dip and dip and slurp! That looks amazing ๐ Great guest post! Buzzed
Oooh that focaccia looks so good! I totally want to soak up all that olive oil with it. Great guest post!
I absolutely love, LOVE focaccia bread. This looks so simple and delicious and well worth it to make
Focaccia is a real treat and I’d love to have it more often but know I shouldn’t. Your recipe sounds great and the pictures are fantastic.
What a gorgeous bread! I love Focaccia bread, and roasted tomatoes are a perfect topping!