The winter holidays bring many occasions, from the big Christmas party to the quiet soup dinner, that require one simple bread recipe: the humble focaccia. Salty, with a crispy outside and soft interior, a focaccia loaf does some serious meal heavy lifting. In fact, focaccia is the plan B of the homemade bread world. She is the result of overproofed bread, and the second best choice for best made plans of that artisan loaf we wanted to try. Good news for you, you can’t mess her up and she’s no second prize. Slice her for sandwiches, dip her in soup, cube her for croutons, top her with garlic cloves and flaky salt. The focaccia is ready for any occasion to amaze and satisfy everyone.
Where Did the Idea of Focaccia Come From?
Now this history lesson is just for fun. I had heard about focaccia as I began my bread baking journey, just as a back up plan for messed up bread. Not something to crave. Then, I watched Samin Nosrat’s documentary series “Salt, Fat, Heat, Acid”. She talked about how the flatbread predates the Romans, and was purely a functional food of the Italian working class through the ages. Focaccia replaced the formal meal, specifically in Liguria. Traditional Ligurian focaccia is no more than two inches tall, and also has a salt brine that mixes with the rich flavors of the olive oil. Bread cooked in salt and oil, and truly as delicious as it sounds.
How long does it take?
Focaccia can take as long as 4 hours on a warm, summer day or 48 hours using a refrigerator to slow down fermentation. What does that mean for you? You can prep ahead or use temperature to manipulate the speed of the rise. For colder environments, you can wrap your bowl in a towel and place it on the dryer, or place the bowl in the oven with the light on (just don’t forget!). For this focaccia, I typically plan to mix the dough in the morning and bake in the evening, or mix in the morning and bake the following day.
Can I make it with yeast, or do I need sourdough?
While this is a sourdough version, yeasted sourdough is just as tasty! Samin Nosrat shares her Ligurian focaccia recipe which uses yeast on her website
Why is the dough so wet and sticky?
Focaccia dough is meant to be sticky! It is a “high hydration dough”, meaning there is a higher ratio of water to flower. We like that in a recipe because it makes an airy, open crumb with a chewy crust. When the stickiness is hard to handle:
- Wet or oil your hands before touching the dough.
- Use a dough scraper as needed.
- Give the dough time; dough gets smoother as it rests and gluten develops.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, and often it’s better! You can:
- Place it overnight in the fridge: Mix, cover it, refrigerate it for 12 to 48 hours. The lower temperature slows rise and adds flavor. Before baking, bring it to room temperature and allow it to get puffy for about an hour. Then, oil and dimple before baking.
- Bake the day before: Focaccia is incredibly easy to reheat because of its oil coating. Reheat at 350F oven for 8-10 minutes to bring back the crust.
- Freeze baked: Allow the bread to cool completely. Cut it into squares, wrap it tightly and put in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Why is mine dense, flat, or tough?
Dense: It could be underproofed. Too much flour could have been used. The kitchen could have been too cold.
Next time, let it rise until puffy and jiggly. Measure flour by weight if you can and use a warm spot to ferment your dough.
No rise: Your sourdough starter may not have been at peak or your instant yeast is old. Check the date on instant yeast and proof the yeast in water first.
Next time, make sure the starter has been recently fed and is very bubbly.
Flat: It could be overproofed; left until all of the air has come out of the dough. The pan was too big. The dough was handled too roughly during dimpling.
Next time, use a pan the dough fills. Press gently with fingertips when dimpling. Monitor the dough to not miss its peak baking time. Focaccia can be made from overproofed dough, but it does still require air to some degree to have any gluten structure.
Tough: Too much flour was used. It’s overbaked. Too little oil was used.
Next time, bake until gold and not dark. Use plenty of olive oil in the pan and on top.
How do I store it, and does it freeze?
Store at room temperature and aluminum foil for 3 days. You can also store in a ziplock bag, but it will soften the crust texture. You can freeze focaccia after it is cooled completely by wrapping it tightly and putting it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Do not refrigerate, as it will dry out the bread. To reheat, warm the bread at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Focaccia Topping Combinations
Foccacia is traditionally just salt and olive oil, but can be savory, umami and sweet!
- Rosemary, flaky sea salt, and olive oil
- Cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves and dried basil
- Caramelized onion, asiago cheese and thyme
- Parmesan and cracked black pepper
- Pepperoni and mozzarella
- Cranberry and Brie
How to Make Focaccia:
Makes (2) 5×7 pans or 1 large sheet pan
Ingredients:
700g flour (5¾ cups + 1 tbsp)
525g water (2 cups + 3 tbsp )
126g active, bubbly starter (½ cup) or ½ tsp of instant yeast
28g honey (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
17g salt (3 tsp)
Directions:
1. Mix all of the ingredients to make a shaggy dough. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, fold the dough over itself repeatedly until the dough is smooth. (5-10 times)
3. Let the dough rest and rise 6-12 hours at room temperature, depending on the temperature of the space. You can alternatively place dough in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
4. After the dough is risen, jiggly and bubbly, generously oil a pan appropriate to your amount of dough. This can be two 5×7 aluminum foil pan or sheet pan. The size of the pan used will determine the fluffiness or crispiness of the bread.
5. Stretch the dough out in your pan. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes and then stretch it out farther as needed.
6. Drizzle generously with olive oil and use oiled fingers to dimple the dough.
7. Add desired toppings.
8. Bake at 425F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Enjoy, and store as indicated above.
Fail-Proof Focaccia
Whether she’s the centerpiece of your Christmas table or the quiet loaf beside a pot of soup, focaccia has a way of simplifying your kitchen’s next great act. Mix the dough in the morning, let the fridge do the slow work, and you’ll have something salty, golden, and warm with almost no effort. Make a big pan for the party, tuck a few squares in the freezer for later, and don’t worry about getting it perfect. You really can’t mess her up. If you try it, I’d love to hear what toppings you chose. Leave a comment below or pin it for your next holiday gathering.
Read More:
Mom’s Best: Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
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