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π The easiest (and most delicious) focaccia
Published about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
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The easiest (and most delicious) focaccia
The past week, I've been having fun with focaccia.
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I know, it feels like everyone makes focaccia these days, but there's a good reason: it's really easy.
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But! It's also really deliciousβthat is, when it's done right.
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Focaccia can trace its roots way back in Italy, primarily Tuscany and Liguria. Of course, then they were baking theirs on heated stones, and the Romans later refined it into what they called "panis focacius"βliterally "hearth bread."
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The Genovese version, focaccia al olio (with olive oil), became so fundamental to daily life that people would stop by their local fornaio (bakery) in the morning to grab a slice for breakfast (!!).
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What I find fascinating is how this bread evolved from a practical way to test oven temperature before baking the "real" bread into becoming the star itself. The dimples we press into the dough? They're not just for show - they create perfect little pools for olive oil and help create that characteristic texture we all love.
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Pretty much every region in Italy has its own version of focaccia, from Puglia's potato-laden version (see below) to Tuscany's salt-free variation (I haven't made this yet π¨). But at its core, it remains what it's always been: a beautifully simple celebration of good flour, olive oil, and salt.
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Read on for my two fav focaccia recipes, and mix a batch this weekend!
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In this week's newsletter:
Recipes: A simple focaccia, focaccia Pugliese, and pane Siciliano
Baking Help: Dough hydration adjustment
Sourdough Links: Pasta alle vongole (with bread!); pizza in NYC
π A simple sourdough focaccia
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This simple rectangular (or circle!) focaccia has been my go-to for close to 10 years now. It's very much a regular weekly rotation here, and you can use just about any flour you have in the pantry.
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Oh! And if you haven't tried this as a sandwich, you've got more to discover π
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Bake this, let it cool, then cut it in half to split the top and bottom and fill it with mortadella and a drizzle of olive oil!
Focaccia Pugliese stands out for its distinctive addition of potato in the dough, which creates an exceptionally soft and chewy interior.
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My naturally leavened version celebrates this southern Italian style with a generous bath of extra-virgin olive oil that transforms both the dough and crust into something golden and sublime.
This past week there's been lots of discussion around baker's percentages in The Baker's Corner community. Something I have written a lot about (both at the website and in my cookbook), but I plan to host a virtual meetup sometime soon to go through how I use them to scale and develop recipes.
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Join now and get in on the meetup, plus access to our community chat, the recipe archive in editable spreadsheets, and remove ads at the website! As always, I appreciate your support.
One thing I keep running into when I use wheat flour recipes, including this one, is when I use my KitchenAid stand mixer per the recipe, the dough gets so tight and confirms tightly to the hook (I use Bob's Red Mill stone ground wheat). My KitchenAid hook is a bigger white ceramic than that used in your video. Whenever I use 50% or higher wheat flour recipes, my loaves don't rise right and just aren't as good/crumbly. However, when I make mostly white flour (King Arthur), I NEVER have this problem or need to modify the recipe (I'm 250 ft above sea level), though I hand mix on the white flour recipes.
I feel like you need to increase the hydration of your dough when using whole wheat flour. This added water will help slacken the dough so you can mix it more, and it should also result in a better texture in the final bread. I would slowly add water after you've mixed it for a few minutes and it's just starting to come together around the dough hook.
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Adding water slowly while the mixer is running will continue to slacken it out as the mixing progresses.
π 2 Ways I Can Help You Today
Speaking of baker's percentages, check out my full guide to modifying (halving, scaling, and more) bread formulas. β
I'm working hard on a few new recipes for the site, and I reaffirmed how important it is to ensure your loaves pass the poke test before baking.
Want to make bakery-quality sourdough bread from home? Subscribe for the best sourdough guides and recipes to take your bread from ordinary to incredible.
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