Homemade Focaccia Bread
There is nothing to compare to the scent of homemade bread fresh out of the oven.
I especially love to make focaccia, it’s a very simple bread with endless possibilities to customize your toppings.
Although you can definitely make this recipe in one day the longer the dough “rests” in the refrigerator the better the taste and texture will be.
Change it up
Choosing your toppings may be the hardest part of this recipe. You can stick with the classics, or really get creative. Dimple the dough, and drizzle with olive oil then add your toppings!. Here are just a few ideas;
- The Classic; Garlic and Rosemary
- Lemon zest, thyme, and parmesan
- Sliced pear, blue cheese. and walnuts
- Pesto and black olives
Today I made a version with black olives and some caramelized shallot sauce adapted from Alison Roman’s delicious recipe.
See recipe: Caramelized Shallot Sauce
Just don’t overload with toppings or you will end up with more of a pizza then a focaccia!
Leftovers?
It’s so delicious that I can’t imagine you will have leftovers but if you do; wrap in parchment and then store in an airtight bag or container for 2 days at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 7 days. Toast or reheat before serving. You can also wrap tightly, and freeze the focaccia for up to 3 months. Simply defrost and reheat before serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water, between 38-43°C/100-110°C F
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast (equal to 1 x 8 g package
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more to coat the pan and for finishing
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour or all purpose flour (565g-630g).
- 2 tbsp caramelized shallot sauce
- 12 – 18 black olives
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, and sugar to dissolve.Allow to stand for 10 minutes (mixture will foam and double in volume if is active).
- Whisk flour and salt together to combine and then add yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. The dough should be soft, but shouldn’t stick to your hands. If to sticky, add more flour 1 tbsp at a time. Dough is ready to rise if you poke it and it slowly bounces back.
- Clean and dry the mixing boil and coat with olive oil. Return the kneaded dough to the bowl, cover tightly, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2-3 hours.
- Spread 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil evenly onto a 15 by-10 inch (38-by-25 cm) rimmed baking sheet. Punch down the dough then use your hands to gently spread across the baking sheet, stretching to the edge of the sheet. Allow 10 – 15 minutes for the gluten to settle, repeat stretching the dough as needed. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to rest for 1 – 24 hours. The longer you leave it to rest the better the flavour and texture will be.
- 1-2 hours prior to baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let to come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) at least 15-20 minutes prior to baking so the oven is very hot.
- Prepare your choice of toppings.Note: at this step you can substitute the topping(s) of your choice. Today I used black olives and leftover caramelized shallot sauce as follows. You could easily substitute some pesto sauce for the shallot sauce or substitute the topping(s) of your choice. Mix 2 tbsp of olive oil into the ¼ cup of caramelized shallot sauce. Pit 12 black olives and cut in half.Spread the shallot sauce evenly over the dough and scatter the olives. Using your fingers, dimple the dough all over the surface. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt or a course kosher salt
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. If desired, broil on high for the last minute to really brown the top.
- Focaccia is delicious warm or at room temperature.