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Focaccia

Focaccia is a popular Italian flatbread made from a simple dough of flour, water, yeast, and olive oil. It is baked until it has a crispy crust and soft interior, often featuring a dimpled surface where olive oil and toppings like herbs, salt, or vegetables are pooled. It can be eaten as a side, a sandwich base, or a street food. 
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Cook Time 30 minutes
Dough rising 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Focaccia dough
  • 250 gr bread flour
  • 20 gr white sugar
  • 6 gr salt
  • 7 gr dried yeast
  • 185 ml water luke warm
  • 22 ml olive oil extra virgin
  • 125 gr boiled and mashed potato floury variety
For baking
  • 60 ml olive oil extra virgin
  • ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
Garlic Rosemary topping
  • 5 cloves garlic cut into fine batons
  • 225 ml olive oil extra virgin
  • 2½ tsp rosemary leaves finely chopped
Cherry Tomato topping
  • 14 cherry tomatoes
  • ¾ tsp dried oregano leaves (or 2½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves)
Black Olive topping
  • 18 kalamata olives pitted
  • ¾ tsp dried oregano leaves (or 2½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves)

Equipment

  • 1 metal non-stick pan 26.5 x 20 x 5 cm

Method
 

  1. Peel potato, cut into 2.5cm / 1" chunks. Boil until fully tender (around 10 – 15 mins; check centre with skewer). Drain and mash very well with a potato ricer or masher until smooth and lump-free. Set aside to cool, and measure out required quantity
  2. Mix warm water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Cover and leave in warm place for 10 minutes until surface is completely foamy.
  3. Place flour, and salt in a large bowl and mix well with a firm rubber spatula
  4. Make a well in the centre, then add olive oil and and foamy yeast water. Mix with spatula until you can no longer see flour. Dough should be sticky – too sticky to knead by hand
  5. Add mashed potato. Using a folding motion, start mixing it through using the spatula. Then start smearing it along the walls of the bowl. Once potato is evenly incorporated, shape roughly into a ball in the bowl.
First rise
  1. Cover bowl with cling wrap, then put in a warm place (25°C/77°F) for 30 minutes until it increases in volume by 50% or up to double in size. (Note 6)
  2. Get another large bowl, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil then use your hands to smear it around the bowl. Scrape dough in, then fold the edges of the dough into the centre six times. Shape into ball, cover with cling wrap.
Second rise
  1. Put the bowl in a warm place (25°C/77°F) for 30 minutes until it increases in volume by 50% or up to double in size.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the pan. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then smear it all across the base and along the walls.
  3. Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan), and set a rack on middle shelf. Allow enough time to ensure oven has been preheated for at least 15 mins for best results.
  4. Scrape dough into prepared pan. Stretch and pull to fill the base as best you can (it's an elastic dough so a bit stubborn!), and get the surface roughly level. It's ok if it's bumpy, it will smooth out later.
Third rise
  1. Cover pan with cling wrap, then put in a warm place for 40 minutes until the dough expands and fills the pan, and the heigh rises by around 25 – 30%.
Preparation instructions
  1. Drizzle the surface with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and smear/rub it over lightly with your hands.
  2. Using both your hands like claws, push your fingers deep into the dough, right to the base of the pan to create the signature dimples. Do this around half a dozen times across dough surface. This will somewhat deflate the dough and is OK
Toppings
  1. Top with toppings of choice (see the three choices below)
  2. Confit Garlic & Rosemary: Place garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil becomes hot, turn down to low and leave for 10 minutes. The garlic should not sizzle, it just poaches gently in hot oil. Strain, cool, then press onto surface of focaccia. Sprinkle with rosemary. Proceed with recipe.
  3. Cherry tomato: Squish each tomato while holding near focaccia surface. Press onto surface, pushing into the dough. Sprinkle with oregano. Proceed with recip
  4. Olives: Press onto surface of focaccia, pushing into the dough. Sprinkle with oregano. Proceed with recipe.
Baking instructions
  1. Drizzle the surface with 2 tablespoons of olive oil so it runs into the dimples. Then sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
  2. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the top is deep golden and lightly crisp, while the sides are fried and crusty.
  3. Turn out onto a cooling rack. Let is rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting to serve. It is ridiculously good served freshly made!
  4. Optionally, finishing with a final flourish of extra virgin olive oil across the surface certainly doesn't go astray! Also some olive oil for dipping is always welcome. 

Notes