Description
This Focaccia Bread Art recipe guides you through making a soft, flavorful focaccia with an artistic touch using fresh herbs, vegetables, and meats as toppings. Featuring a detailed dough preparation process, long fermentation for enhanced flavor, and a golden, crispy finish from oven baking, this bread is perfect for impressing guests or enjoying as a savory snack.
Ingredients
Dough
- 16 ounces warm water (110ºF) divided into two bowls (2 cups)
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 7 grams active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
- 24 ounces bread flour or all-purpose flour (5 cups spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces olive oil (1/4 cup)
For Baking and Topping
- 4 ounces olive oil for pan and drizzling (1/2 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon flakey salt
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary (chopped)
- Vegetables, herbs, and meats for topping (as desired)
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: Combine one cup of warm water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Stir to mix and set aside for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Start the Dough: Transfer the yeast mixture to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Alternatively, prepare to mix by hand using a bowl and spoon.
- Add Flour: Add about 1 cup of flour and mix on low speed until combined to start forming the dough.
- Incorporate Remaining Ingredients: Add the remaining warm water, olive oil, salt, and half of the remaining flour. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Complete Flour Addition: Gradually add the rest of the flour while mixing on low speed until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough remains sticky, add a couple more tablespoons of flour. The dough will still be soft.
- Knead the Dough: Continue mixing until the dough has good gluten development and bounces back when touched. Optionally, finish kneading by hand on a countertop for 2 minutes until pliable and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Pour enough olive oil into a 12″x17″ sheet pan (or similar size) to cover the bottom with a thin layer of oil.
- Shape the Dough: Oil your hands to prevent sticking, transfer the dough to the pan, and gently stretch it out. If the dough resists and shrinks back, allow it to rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten before stretching again.
- Cold Fermentation: After shaping, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight to develop flavor.
- Prepare for Baking: Remove the dough from the fridge and let it warm at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Dimple the Dough: Use oiled fingers to press dimples evenly across the surface to help trap olive oil.
- Add Olive Oil and Salt: Drizzle olive oil generously over the dimples and sprinkle flakey salt on top.
- Decorate: Arrange your preferred vegetables, herbs, and meats on top of the dough. Brush the toppings with olive oil to prevent them from burning during baking.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 450ºF and bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes or until it turns golden brown.
- Serving and Storage: Best enjoyed the same day due to the toppings. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 5-10 minutes to restore the chewy texture.
Notes
- The dough is intentionally soft and sticky; adding a small amount of extra flour is okay but avoid over-flouring to keep focaccia tender.
- Long, cold fermentation overnight improves the flavor and texture dramatically.
- Use enough olive oil in the pan and on top to achieve the characteristic rich, moist crumb.
- Customize toppings based on preference—rosemary, cherry tomatoes, olives, caramelized onions, or cured meats all work beautifully.
- If the dough shrinks when stretched, resting it allows gluten relaxation for easier shaping.
- Reheating focaccia in the oven revives its fresh-baked chewiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
