Basic focaccia bread recipe

This is an easy recipe for basic focaccia bread. I like mine with caramelized onion and olives on top, but you can customize the toppings to your liking or leave it plain.

This is an easy recipe for focaccia bread with simple toppings, one that doesn't require a whole day in the kitchen. Of course, as with all bread recipes with yeast you' ll need to leave it to rest for a while, and let the yeast work its magic. And yes, it's not as easy as this no-yeast quick beer and olives bread but still, the whole procedure is very straightforward and I believe you will be very happy with the outcome.

I always say that if your hands are not greasy from the olive oil after eating a piece of focaccia, then it wasn't a real focaccia! The olive oil covers the pan and the surface of the bread and gives it that crunchy exterior and a superb taste, while the center remains chewy, soft and pillowy. I like to keep the hydration at about 65-70% because I find that this makes the dough easier to work with, but you can certainly increase it up to 75% for a chewier texture (though the dough will be stickier).

The name focaccia comes from the Latin “panis focacius" which means flatbread baked on the hearth (the floor of a fireplace). Focus was the word for fireplace and the early focaccia bread was developed from the recipes where they covered the flatbread with charcoals. If you're lucky enough to have a wood-fired oven, then you should try to bake it there; the taste will be amazing. The rest of us, the simple humans, will have to keep satisfied with our kitchen ovens.

How do you make focaccia bread from scratch?

As I've said, this is an easy recipe for focaccia bread and if you follow these simple steps you will be eating a delicious focaccia in a few hours!

• Mix the water, the yeast and some of the flour in a bowl and wait for the yeast to show some activity (small bubbles or a nice yeasty smell).
• Add the rest of the ingredients and knead until a smooth dough is formed. Let it rise until doubled in volume.
• Transfer it to a pan, flatten it out and let it rise for a second time.
• Then, make deep holes throughout the surface, add your desired toppings (optional) and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes and an emulsion of olive oil and water.
• Bake until golden brown.

Can I use all-purpose flour or bread flour?

For this recipe you can use only all-purpose flour or a mix of all-purpose and bread flour (like this recipe from the perfect loaf). I have done it both ways and I love them both. If you use only all-purpose flour the focaccia will be a bit softer and you may also need one or two extra tablespoons of flour (but this can also depend on the brand and the protein content of each flour). If you use a mix of all-purpose and bread flour, the result will be chewier.

If you want to increase the fiber content of this recipe you can also replace the bread flour with whole wheat flour.

What different toppings can I use in focaccia?

As I've said before I love bread so most of the times I leave my focaccia plain, with only some sea salt flakes and a generous drizzle of olive oil on top. This way I can enjoy the taste without having any distractions. For this post I used chopped onion which caramelizes through baking and sliced olives. The result was delicious!

You can actually add whatever toppings your heart desires. I'm not saying that you should cover the whole bread with everything you have in your fridge and transform it into a pizza but two or three different ingredients will add some interest. My favorites are:

• chopped onion
• dried onion flakes, thick tomato paste and oregano (make a paste and spread it at the top before you add the olive oil emulsion)
• sesame seeds
• rosemary or other herbs
• crashed black pepper
• sliced cherry tomatoes or (dried tomatoes)
• olives
• chopped peppers
• small cheese cubes

What is focaccia bread served with?

You can eat focaccia plain or you can slice it in the middle and make a delicious savory sandwich.

A green salad with goat cheese, some chicken and a slice of focaccia make for a great lunch!

Also, focaccia can be served during dinner instead of plain bread or it can also be cut into smaller slices and be a part of a meze platter.

What makes the bread smell like yeast.

Sometimes, homemade bread can smell like yeast and the focaccia is no exception. A variety of reasons can result in this. If you find yourself in this kind of situation, check if something of the following is happening:

• The quantity of the yeast is too much. Usually every packaging of yeast says how much you should use for a certain amount of flour. Try not to add more than that.
• Try to use room temperature water (or other liquids). Warm water will help the dough rise faster but it can also be responsible of a strong smell of yeast in your bread. Using room temperature liquids can solve this problem.
• You should rest the dough in a warm place to give it time to rise/proof. But if the proofing temperature is above 80-85 F (26-30 C) it can make the bread smell yeasty.

Recipe

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