Focaccia five ways.
Ah, focaccia!
While you bake I like to waccia.
I’m so glad I gaccia–
My dear focaccia…
OK, blame it on the upcoming long weekend: it’s got me feeling footloose and fancy-free already. What better way to celebrate summer than with an ode to my favorite flatbread, focaccia? Or, make that doggerel, rather than ode. Whatever. I just had to sing this simple bread’s praises.
“Simple?” Yes, simple. As in both “basic” and “easy.” Even if you’re not a dyed-in-the-wool bread-baker, you can make a great focaccia. After all, there’s no tricky shaping involved; no nerve-wracking wait for an ultra-high rise in a loaf pan. This friendly flatbread is content to rise just about an inch before it goes into the oven. And even if it deflates somewhere along the way, the only downside is bread that’s more chewy than airy.
If you think focaccia looks suspiciously like pizza, you’re right. The only difference between focaccia and thick-crust pizza, in my book, is that focaccia doesn’t have to carry the ungainly load of tomato sauce and melted cheese and pepperoni and all that other stuff we heap on pizza. Instead, focaccia is almost bare-naked, save for a minimalist’s sprinkle of dried rosemary and cracked pepper, or maybe some Italian herbs. And a drizzle of olive oil. A heavy drizzle. More on that later.
My most recent focaccia discovery involves its place in the pantheon of breakfast breads. I mean, who knew this simple, crusty bread could enclose golden raisins, don a coat of crunchy sugar, and become morning toast? Not I… till I thought outside the savory box. And now I’m a convert. Don’t like raisins? Stuff it with dried cranberries, or whatever dried fruit you DO like.
And then there’s cheese-stuffed focaccia. Instead of raisins inside—melting cheese. Herbs on top. Be still, my heart! Are you beginning to see why focaccia makes me break into song?
If you find yourself with some lazy down time this long weekend, consider a foray into focaccia. I guarantee, you’ll be singing its praises as loudly as I do.
First, let’s make an overnight starter. This particular starter will look like a very thick batter or a very wet dough.
Overnight, it’ll rise nicely.
Mix it with the remaining dough ingredients.
Here’s the dough as it’s just coming together.
Seven minutes of kneading in a stand mixer turns it soft, silky, and sinuous; not overwhelmingly sticky, but nice and elastic.
Put it in a covered container to rise for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, deflate it, and let it rise again. Look how vigorous this second rise is! The dough has just about tripled in bulk from its original volume. That’s because the yeast has had that much longer to grow and reproduce.
Lightly grease a half-sheet pan (18” x 13”, the baker’s best friend). Drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the pan. Greasing the pan will keep the bread from sticking; olive oil will give it a tasty bottom crust.
Let the dough rise, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, until it gets REALLY billowy. It’s kind of problematic finding something to cover it with when it’s in this large a pan. I’ve been able to use some really big plastic covers from supermarket deli trays. You can also used well-greased plastic wrap—and I mean WELL-greased. You don’t want the wrap to stick to your risen dough.
Dimple the dough with your fingers. Press down firmly, but gently. You don’t want to deflate the dough. It’ll settle a little bit, but shouldn’t look like a popped balloon.
Spritz with warm water, then drizzle with more oil. That’s why you’ve dimpled the dough; so oil can collect in its pockets. Sprinkle with pizza seasoning, Italian herbs, rosemary and cracked black pepper, or your favorite dried herbs.
Bake till golden brown. Remove from the pan, and cool on a rack…
…then cut into squares to serve. Or just rip it apart, if you’re with friends.
You can also make focaccia sticks. Once the loaf is cool—and especially if you’ve only eaten part of it, and the rest is getting a bit stale—cut it into 1/3” strips.
Place the strips on an ungreased baking sheet, and drizzle or spray with olive oil. Yes, I like olive oil. A lot. Can you tell?
Bake in a 325°F to 350°F oven till light golden brown and crisp. 10 minutes? 15 minutes? Somewhere in that range, probably. Pretty elegant, huh?
Next up: Sweet Breakfast Focaccia.
Flatten the risen focaccia dough. Pile about 1 2/3 cups of raisins on top.
Enfold the raisins as though you were making an envelope. Tuck them in so none are showing.
Put the raisin-stuffed dough on a lightly greased half-sheet pan (no olive oil—fooled you!).
Press to the edges of the pan as well as you can, without exposing too many of the raisins. Some will pop through; don’t stress about it. Let the dough rise, covered.
Once it’s risen, dimple it, spritz it with warm water, and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar or Demerara sugar.
Bake till golden brown; the sugar will partially melt, forming a crackly/crunchy topping.
Cut in squares to serve. Toast briefly, for best flavor. I say briefly, because if you let it stay in the toaster too long the sugar melts and makes a mess. But then again, that’s what toaster bags are for.
OK, we’re not done yet: how about cheese-stuffed focaccia? Just knead 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese (or your favorite cheese) into the dough after it’s been through its initial rises, then pat it into the pan.
Sprinkle a bit more feta on top. Bake, and enjoy hot, melty-cheesy focaccia. Oo-la-la!
If you like, cut it in strips for dipping in olive oil (there it is again!).
And there you have it: focaccia five ways. Plain, sticks, breakfast, cheese-stuffed, and dipping strips.
Read our complete recipe for Focaccia.
Buy vs. Bake
Buy: Supermarket Rosemary Focaccia, 36¢/ounce
Bake at home: Rosemary-topped plain focaccia, 7¢/ounce.
June 29th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
OK, that is cracking us up! We’ve…well I’ve…been chanting your ode to focaccia all around the house. My husband thinks you need a song to the tune of “Baby Got Back”:
“I like to bake bread, and I cannot lie,
Sourdough, wheat or rye…”
Love the breakfast focaccia idea!
Remember “L.A. Woman”? A prospective ad agency once sent us a tape of L.A. Woman with the words all changed to be about baking. All I can remember now is “the dough is rising…. rising rising…” Funniest thing I ever heard. Actually, I’m glad I don’t know “Baby Got Back” because I’d be hearing it in my dreams all night, at this point! Thanks for sharing the hilarity of a pre-long weekend Sunday- PJH
June 29th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Seeing the raisin focaccia reminded me of an Italian deli (since closed) I used to frequent — besides focaccia with savory toppings they occasionally made a focaccia topped with halved seedless green grapes. The grapes and their sticky sweet juice would partially caramelize — ooh, it was yummy!
Hey, check our recipe for Rosemary and Grape Focaccia at kingarthurflour.com - sounds like what you describe. And yes, the juices caramelize… - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 2:33 am
Oh, gosh, YUM! Now why do I have to live alone, with best friends who are gluten intolerant? I never should have moved away from my old gluten-glutton pals. If this were the old days, I’d bake up that feta focaccia and my old favorite pesto and parmesan focaccia (smear pesto in the dimples; parmesan in the dough) and tomato and olive (thinly smear tomato paste on top, sprinkle with herbs and chopped black olives) and get out some wine and have me a focaccia party.
Pesto in the dimples -GREAT idea. And olives. And tomato paste - hey, sounds like we’re going towards pizza again… always a temptation. : ) Nel, go for it anyway - bring it all to work (if you work?) and share. TX for the ideas- PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 7:01 am
My basil is at its peak and I was trying to find a way to use my homemade basil pesto in a recipe for my son & daughter-in-laws 4th of July party. Lo and behold I read your blog about the foccacia… know what I am doing early Friday morning. I will use the pesto and a local shredded 3-cheese mixture. Some people don’t like black olives so I will omit that. Gee, IDEA!! Maybe I’ll use 2 pans and make 2 versions.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I have a question about the fociccia “sticks” are they similar to those long crispy bread sticks? I have a recipe for bacon wrapped bread sticks to make for the 4th. The hostess made a request, and the long kind are hard to find unbroken, these look like a subsutute. What do you think?
Hi Jana,
It would definitely be worth a try. The lovely bacon fat would be absorbed into the focaccia sticks making for some delicious decadent treats. Let us know how it works out!
MaryJane @ The Baker’s Hotline
Yeah, Jana, I think this would work well. If your focaccia is over 1″ tall, you might want to cut the strips, then carefully cut them in half lengthwise, to make them more the shape of those skinny bread sticks? With the width of these, I’m wondering how the bacon would wrap… You could also try our Thin ‘n’ Crunchy Italian Breadstick recipe at kingarthurflour.com. - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 11:50 am
YUM! I’ll need to try the breakfast focaccia. I am sure I will break out into your song and most likely even a jig for added measure speaking which, where can I buy the dough rising bucket in the picture? It looks larger than what King Arthur Flour carries. Is it?
Thanks for all your GREAT recipes!
Chi, it’s actually an 8-cup measuring cup. We’ll have them available for sale, online, in a couple of weeks. Just getting them in now, they’ll appear in our august catalogue… PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 11:51 am
To proof large pans of dough I use the X large ziplock bags-by placing a stacking rack in side it keeps the bag from touching the dough or if you are doing doubles(which I’m usually doing) I place a couple of glasses on the rack to raise the top of the bag. Bag can be used over and over again-also can be sprayed for non-stick but store in freezer when not in use. My son tells everyone I’m doing science projects. Love the idea for turning the extra fociccia into the bread sticks. Thanks
Excellent idea - thanks. You could also position a rack (maybe raised on books or something) over the dough, and drape with plastic wrap to make a little tent… - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Focaccia has always been for breakfast! When I lived in Nervi (a suburb to the east of Genoa) there was a marvelous bakery on the upper end of the Viale delle Palme that was famous for its wonderful focaccia. Trays and trays of the wonderful stuff cut into squares about three or four inches on a side and a couple of inches thick in the Genoese style with only salt and oil on top. It was always gone by ten o’clock in the morning. A large cup of caffe latte from the bar on the corner made a fantastic breakfast. Breakfast doesn’t have to contain sugar to be sweet.
John, so right… Sweet has many meanings. I happily stand corrected! - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
We love focaccia in this house, usually use fresh rosemary, fresh garlic and kosher salt on top - YUM. My question is how do you keep it fresh? Even by the next morning it’s getting stale and losing it’s great chewy texture. Love the crispy bread sticks idea, but is there any way to keep it fresh?
Yeast bread’s freshness is so fleeting… but responds to reheating! Best way I’ve found is store in a paper bag; and reheat briefly in the toaster before serving. - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
I live at 7500 ft elevation. Tough to make bread. However my Pumpernickle I have perfected. I use the recipe on the back of the flour bag. I omit the Deli rye flavor and the onions. I add 2 TLBS of gluten and 2 TLBS of unsalted butter plus 2 TLBS of the Pumpernickel flavor. Of course EVERYTHING is King Arthur. Now I want to try this Focaccia recipe. Thank you again for your WONDERFUL products, and great customer help. Flo Johnson Walton Surprise Az and Fence Lake NM
Thanks, Flo - for baking, for connecting with us, for using our products. The 167 employee-owners here at King Arthur appreciate your loyalty! - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I am inspired by the breakfast foccacia idea. Has any one ever combined the raisins and maybe a farmer cheese for a cheesey breakfast bread? Maybe with almonds and cheese?
Sounds good, Jenn - go for it! - PJH
June 30th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Growing up, this kind focaccia was a standard at every family gathering. There would be trays of a standard olive oil and salt focaccia and trays of raisin studded, sugar topped kind. The rasin always went first so, you had to get it early. We make it with olive oil on top then rasins, sugar and a sprinkle of salt.
Make it any time of the day and enjoy a true Italian tradition.
Gianna- thanks for the suggestion - I LOVE the sugar/salt combo. Next time I’m trying that - PJH
July 1st, 2008 at 12:12 am
How high does the foccacia rise? Was thinking that inverting another half sheet pan on top might work as a cover.
Julia, that should work - the dough bulges out over the sides a bit, but if you oil the other pan (sides and bottom), it should work… good idea! Thanks for sharing- PJH
July 1st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Help! My starter doesn’t look wet like the first picture. Is 1/2 c. water to
1 c. flour enough water to get the appearance of a wet dough? My starter looks ver dry.
Dianne, you may have packed your flour down when you measured it. The way to measure is to fluff it up in the canister; sprinkle it into your measuring cup with a spoon or scoop; then use a table knife to sweep off the excess. This will give you about 4 1/4 ounces of flour, which is what we here at King Arthur use as our 1-cup weight. OR you may be using bread flour instead of all-purpose? And did you stir the starter and really work it around? Or maybe you live somewhere very dry…? Lots of possibilities! The starter can be dry, so long as it’s all come together, with no dry flour left in the bowl. Just add a bit more water if you need to, no big deal. Everything will be FINE, trust me. -PJH
July 1st, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Very tasty, but I had timming problems I did not have enough time to rise 2-3 hours I had to leave and come back home, so it rose 5 hours. If I run out of time to last rise and bake can I stop the process by putting it in the fridge?
Absolutely; putting yeast dough in the fridge to slow it down is always an option. How did it work out having risen 5 hours? Bet it developed lots of flavor, anyway… PJH
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:27 am
Aha! My starter seemed fine but I was about to write that my dough was very dry and we kept adding water (about a third of a cup more?) and it’s still pretty stiff. Then I saw Dianne’s message and realized we used bread flour instead of all-purpose! We are in Nairobi at 5000ft so it’s a bit cool, maybe that also made a difference? In my bakery we have bread flour (about 12.5% protein) and what they call Pure Patent for cakes at about 10% protein. Maybe I’ll try the pure patent next time.
Lee, I’ll bet it’s also pretty dry at 5000 feet. So you had a couple of factors pointing towards needing more liquid. I’d try a combination of bread flour and patent, maybe 2/3 bread to 1/3 patent - should work nicely. Good luck! -PJH
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:44 am
The flavor was great with the 5 hour rise. It was only half and in thick so when it baked it was crispy and good. I am still working on a good batch for the bacon wrapped bread sticks. Thanks for the information.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I just now took a cheese-stuffed focaccia out of the oven. It looks exactly like the picture posted here. Man, is that good! I made it today because I had a little feta in the fridge that needed to be used. I was expecting the focaccia to be good, but this is exceptional! I need to bake this one again, soon! How would it be with pepper-jack cheese? or maybe brie? I’m going right back into the kitchen to whip up another starter so that I can bake another one of these tomorrow.
PJ - another winner! Thanks!
Tom
Tom, I won’t say it’s hard to go wrong with yeast bread… but maybe it’s easy to go right? I swear, anything with flour, water, yeast, salt, olive oil, and a bit of time comes out wonderfully well. I think any cheese would work with this, some, of course, becoming more melty than others (which is a GOOD thing… what’s not to like with melted cheese, right?) - Let us know how your tomorrow loaf turns out. Have fun- PJH
July 5th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I made this for a double birthday party July 2nd. It was soooo good. Everyone, including me, couldn’t stop eating it and it was easy to make. I made the olive oil, fresh rosemary, tuscan sea salt blend kind. Can’t wait to make it again.
July 6th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Hi PJ, thanks for the tip on mixing the patent and bread flour, it worked like a dream! Maybe a little lighter than most foccacia I’ve had, but awesome. I made feta and rosemary-flavored (together). (Just a tip: I should have oiled the pan more as the feta stuck in some places.) One question: I found forming it into the pan was kind of difficult, did you knead the dough and then roll it out or something?
This morning for breakfast I made a yummy toasted foccacia sandwich with brie and tomato confit.
Hi Lee - Glad the flour combo worked. Did you grease the pan, AND oil it with olive oil as well? I just push the kneaded dough into the pan, no rolling it out. When it starts to shrink back, I walk away for 10-15 minutes, then push it some more… You do need patience. You’llalso figure out what method works best for YOU. Good luck - PJH
July 7th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Over 25 years ago I use to live in Greenwich Village, NY. For over 20 years, on Sunday I would go to one of the local Bakery to buy focaccia bread to have for breakfast. The bakery only sold the focaccia on Sunday because the rest of the week they were slicing the focaccia and toasting it. They sold it to all local restaurants and they called it Riviera Toast.
One Sunday I went to bakery and there was a notice on the door that the IRS closed the bakery because they did not pay their Federal Tax. Bummer since then I have learned to make a good focaccia bread. I have the recipe down pat were the dough is mixed, knead and rises in a round 1 ½ gallon plastic container.
My favorite topping is diced red onions, soaked in red wine vinegar, poppy seeds and olive oil. It makes a great Sunday breakfast.
Interesting topping, Mike - with the vinegar. I’ll have to try that one next, thanks- PJH
July 10th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later ..
July 10th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I just finished mixing up the starter. I am so excited to hit up the farmers market for some grapes or cheese or something tomorrow, and make this bread when I get home from work. Thanks for this wonderful blog, and wonderful flour!
You’re welcome, Christian, and good luck with your focaccia - sounds like it’ll be a winner. The one I make with grapes is unusual, but VERY good… Check it out at kingarthurflour.com - Rosemary & Grape Focaccia- PJH
July 19th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
TRY THAT GRAPE FOCACCIA! I’ve served it at a couple of birthday dinner parties, and people love it. There’s something about hot grapes that just gets to people.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Thank you so much for this wonderful site - so generous of you to share all these fabulous recipes. I have spent the summer testing several -lol. Although I’ve made focaccia before, this version has become the family favorite. It’s awesome!!! I have two half-sheet pans (perforated) so I use one for the bread and set the other on top while it’s rising (top rim to top rim). It fits perfectly and there’s plenty of room to rise.
Love the bread stick idea, but so far we haven’t had any left over to try it with!
July 30th, 2008 at 4:20 am
I absolutely love! all the suggestions on this site and your expertise is invaluable, I just wish I could get king Arthur products, they are not on sale in my country. But I just love this site,it’s just wonderful, many thank’s.
Rona, you can always order our products online and have them shipped to you in Great Britain-
PJH
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I love that you used the proper word for the starter. As you can see that is my last name in Italian and Greek the other meaning is 2 horsed chariot. Actually there are 12 bakeries with the biga name throughout the country. I let my biga if you will rise in the refrigerator over night no longer than 12 hrs. once it has the final rise I section off 2×2 sections and bake. My grand sons call it “poppa’s big boy bread” I cut it in half and put ham and cheese on it, slather EVOO on both sides and give it a shot in the panini press. Even the adults go ga ga over it. I also make mine as a pizza. I”m 70 plus so its getting harder fir this old bird anymore. It”s usually on special occasions anymore. Good eating Bob Biga.
Bob, thanks for upholding your good name all these years! Your family is lucky to have a bread-baker in their midst… - PJH