Classic Italian Focaccia Flatbread
This classic, soft on the inside with a crispy exterior Focaccia recipe was inspired by the Focaccia Genovese style in Italy. There's a basic flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt dough with a few extra ingredients. The toppings can vary, but a simple brine of olive oil, water, and salt are all you need for a great, flavorful Focaccia flatbread to eat as a snack or to go with your next meal.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients:
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour fluffed, scooped, & excess raked from cup
- 240 g (2 cups) bread flour fluffed, scooped, & excess raked from cup
- 1½ tsp (9 g) salt
- 1¼ tsp (5 g) yeast
- 1½ cups (12 oz) warm water 100°F-110°F (38˚C-43˚C)
- 3 tbsp (1½ oz) extra-virgin olive oil divided (plus more for oiling the work surface & pan)
- 2 tsp barley malt or honey
- 1 oz (2 tbsp) butter, softened
Salamoia (brine) and Topping Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing on after baking
- 3 tbsp warm water
- coarse salt to sprinkle over the top
- ¼ cup fresh rosemary, roughly chopped to sprinkle over the top optional
Optional Traditional Italian Topping Ingredients:
- ¼ cup fresh herbs, chopped (rosemary, oregano, basil, sage, etc.)
- ½ cup sliced black or green olives
- ½ cup Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese grated or small chunks
- ½ cup tomato slices or halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup slivers of sliced onion
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Add about 1 tbsp of oil to an 18x13 or 17x12-inch baking sheet and brush or rub it over the bottom and sides of the pan. Add a sheet of parchment paper that extends a little over the pan ends (~2") to allow for lifting out the bread once it has baked. Press the parchment paper down so that it adheres to the oil and flattens against the pan bottom and edges. Add a little more oil on top of the parchment paper to coat it.
- To the bowl of stand mixer, sift in both flours. Add salt and yeast. Use the paddle attachment and mix on low until combined.TIP: Without a stand mixer, whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Heat water in the microwave for ~30 seconds or so until the temperature reaches 100°F-110°F (38˚C-43˚C). Stir in 1 oz (2 tbsp) olive oil, and malt or honey. With mixer on low, slowly pour in the water mixture and continue to mix. Add in the softened butter and mix for 2 minutes until the dough is smooth. It should be very wet and sticky. If it isn’t, add 1 tsp of water a time.TIP: Stop once or twice after adding the butter to scrape down the bowl edges.TIP: Use a spoon or spatula if stirring without a stand mixer.
- Use a spatula (dipped in water if needed) and scrape down the sides of the bowl so the dough comes together in the center of the bowl. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes uncovered.
- Turn the mixer on to medium speed for 1 minute to mix the dough again.TIP: Without a stand mixer, stir by hand.
- Add ~ 2 tsp of olive oil to a work surface and rub the oil along the areas where you will manipulate the dough.
- Scoop the dough out onto the work surface. Rub a little more oil on your hands and a bench scraper (if you have one). Hold one side of the dough in place with one hand and stretch the other side with the oiled bench scraper or your other oiled hand pulling away from you. Fold the dough over in half (the stretched side to the other side that’s in front of you). Rotate the dough to a right angle so the folded side is facing either to your right or left. Repeat the process 5-7 times until you see the dough change in texture and become a smooth, elastic dough.TIP: For this recipe, the stretch and fold technique works well because folding instead of kneading helps to trap air in the dough resulting in a light a airy flatbread.
- Oil or spray the bowl with cooking spray and place the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm area for 1-2 hours until doubled or more in size.
- Without deflating the dough, scoop it out onto the prepared baking pan. Drizzle 1 tbsp (½ oz) of oil over the dough and rub it all around. The oil will keep the dough moist as you stretch/push it out in the pan.
- Begin carefully pushing the dough out to fit the pan to the edges and corners. Careful not to deflate the dough and try to maintain the same thickness. If the dough retracts, stop for a few minutes, and allow it to rest some before continuing. You may need to stop several times during the stretching. You should see bubbles and lots of air pockets trapped under the dough’s surface all through the dough as you push it out to the ends.
- Cover the dough loosely with oiled/sprayed plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, ~30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C) during the last 20 minutes of rising and prepare the Salamoia. Whisk together warm water and extra virgin olive oil and set aside until ready to use it.
- Once the Focaccia has doubled in size, brush the Salamoia over the dough. Use 3 fingers to press dimples into the dough moving from side to side beginning at the end away from you and moving down to the end in front of you. Sprinkle with coarse salt, herbs, and any other toppings, if using.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Once out of the oven, brush the Focaccia with additional extra virgin olive oil to taste. Cut and serve.
Video
Notes
Storage
Without toppings except for salt and herbs, you can store the bread in slices wrapped in a zip-top bag for a couple of days at room temperature. Bread dries out as it sits at room temperature, so consume it quickly or freeze it for later. With toppings, you should freeze any uneaten slices after it has baked. If freezing, slice in desired serving pieces, wrap well in a zip-top bag and freeze it as soon as it has cooled to preserve freshness. Remove desired slices as needed, allow to thaw on the counter for about an hour, and microwave for ~30 seconds. You can also wrap desired slices in foil and heat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for ~15 or so until bread is heated through.
Suggested Uses:
-Slices of the Focaccia bread make great sandwich bread, particularly grilled cheese.
-While Focaccia is not a pizza crust, you can certainly add pizza toppings before baking. Keep in mind that the bread is a softer flatbread than pizza crust, so heavy sauces and lots of toppings are not the best options for this bread. It is also a very flavorful bread, so it doesn’t need any or many additional flavorings.
Suggested Topping Variations:
-½ cup (6 slices) of bacon or pancetta, chopped and lightly browned
-½ cup roughly chopped nuts, walnuts
-slices of Prosciutto