This is the ultimate bread you are looking for! Soft, spongy, chewy bread filled with flavors! This focaccia, a classic Italian bread is great to have as such, dip with pesto, or amazing with soup. They can be great for sandwiches too!
Now, this classic bread gets its unique structure from its composition. The dough is a little wet than any other bread. Also, lots of olive oil are added to the dough which gives a characteristic flavor. Do not skimp on the olive oil. Use best quality olive for an outstanding flavor!
The water and olive oil is important and do not reduce it. It may sound little too much. If you reduce and make, you may bake aloaf but the characteristic flavor and texture may not be there. If you watch Great British Baking show, in the newest episodes, the bakers bake focaccia and Paul makes a comment for one of the baker. He made the focaccia again with regular quantity of oil to get the great texture appreciated by Paul Hollywood!
One other factor to keep in mind with focaccia is making dimples. This prevents balloon like formations on top while baking and keeps the bread nice and flat. The thickness of the dough while spreading should be an inch. So after the second rise and bake, it would have the perfect height for focaccia.
The wheel pattern can be made in different ways. This is another way to make with different color bell peppers. Kids would love to top and ot would be a great way to have them in the kitchen. Use green and/or kalamata olive as per preference. The toppings combinations give infinite ways to enjoy this classic bread!
This recipe is made in castiron skillet. This can be made in other pans too. If not using cast iron, the bread may be done a few minutes earlier. Check after 20 minute mark. Alternatively, this can be made in a 13X7 rectangular pan too!
I used a bread machine to make the dough part. It can be made manually too! The dough is a little sticky and messy. So, resorted to the bread machine and tried to be a little sane!
This bread stays for a couple of days at room temperature. This is amazing for many sandwiches too!
Kelly is hosting this month event with the theme "Bread Art". We started this year with 3-d animals and I shared this 3-D Peacock Shaped Pizza Rolls. For this month's event, I had so many plans to make:-) After watching episodes and episodes of Great British Baking Show, me and my daughter taked about making a sourdough loaf, chelsea buns, basket etc, etc....:-). We wanted to try some painting techniques too! Very ambitious plans! We had pretty great ideas and plans! Atleast, that we were able to do! Off late, life has become so crazier that we couldn't complete all of the components that we planned for! Life happens! Yet, we continue with our ambitions to make it someday. Finally, our fool proof, family loved focaccia came to help. We make this quite often and love the texture and flavor of this. This tastes amazing with just olive oil and basil or rosemary too! But with veggies on hand, inifinite possibilities are there to make art with the focaccia as canvas. Recently, whenever we made focaccia, somehow it got the shape of a wheel! Destiny! It has to be a focaccia wheel for this month's event than any other style of bread art. Delicious, though! Wouldn't deny that.
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
I am also linking this to Sundays on Silverado and Happiness is Homemade.
Can't believe its the end of 2021. Feel it is quite soon! Anyways, I enjoyed baking and sharing some super delicious bread in this #BreadBakers group! Here are quick links to the breads I baked in this year's journey!
Ingredients
Makes one 12-in focaccia
Bread flour - 3.5 cups
Water - 1.5 cups plus 2 tbsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 10 tbsp
Garlic - 2, whole
Toppings
Kalamata olives - 30
Pearl onions - 7
Shallots -12 slices
Bell pepper - 12 slices
Basil/rosemary
Salt flakes
Method
Trim the garlic bulbs at the base. Drizzle a tablespoon oil, wrap in a aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Take it out, cool.
Activate the yeast with warm water and sugar. Add this and 4 tbsp olive oil to the bread machine. Add the flour and salt. Set it in dough cycle and let it knead. The dough will be sticky/wet.
Allow to prove for one to one and a half hour.
Smaear a tablespoon oil on a 12-in cast iron skillet. Sprinkle a little cornmeal. Transfer the dough. Knead lightly. stretch and spread completely to fit the skillet.
Drizzle a tablesppon oil and cover to prove for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add the toppings including the roasted garlic as desired. I made a wheel like design.
Insert the fingers and make as many dimples all around the dough.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle salt flakes.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The inside temperature should be 200F, indicating complete baking.
Remove from the oven, cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Transfer from the skillet and cool further. Slice and serve as such, or with pesto dip, or soup.
Thank you so much for baking with me this month! Thanks, Kelly!
- A Christmas Partridge for my True Love from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Christmas Wreath Focaccia from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Mini Fougasse from Ambrosia
- Roasted Garlic Focaccia Wheel from Magical Ingredients
- Rudolph Reindeer Sourdough Bread from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
- Santa Bread from Passion Kneaded
- Shekerbura from A Messy Kitchen
- Sunflower Bread from Making Miracles
- Wool Roll Bread With Cranberries from Sneha's Recipe
See you all next year with new baking themes! Happy New Year!
hobby baker Kelly says
Roasted garlic is the best. And they are beautiful rounds, I particularly like the colored pepper stripes around the star anise on one of your creations.
Rebekah says
What a lovely loaf - so very pretty!! The perfect accompaniment to just about anything!
A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Not only gorgeous but absolutely delicious looking. Love the flavors you used.
Kelster says
I love how beautiful that design is - especially before it's baked.
Swathi says
This roasted garlic focaccia wheel looks delicious perfect for treat.
Swathi says
This roasted garlic focaccia wheel looks delicious perfect for treat.
Namita says
Iloved the flavours in your focaccia Radha. Focaccia looks like a canvas and you filled it up with lovely colours.
Namita says
Iloved the flavours in your focaccia Radha. Focaccia looks like a canvas and you filled it up with lovely colours.
Karen says
This is so pretty!!! And I agree, don't skimp on the olive oil.
Karen says
This is so pretty!!! And I agree, don't skimp on the olive oil.