What’s not to love about focaccia, an ancient Italian flatbread?
With its dimpled golden crust and soft, airy interior, focaccia bread is a staple in Italian cuisine. Though Americans have come to know this bread relatively recently—Italian immigrants brought their focaccia recipes with them when they arrived in the US in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—focaccia’s roots reach back to ancient times.
The modern version of focaccia is associated with Genoa, Italy, where it’s a craveable Italian street food. Scientists, however, believe that Neolithic people were making similar flatbread as far back as 7000 to 5000 B.C.E.
Although the earliest versions were unleavened flatbread cooked over an open fire—the term focaccia translates to “hearth bread” in Latin—today, yeast is added to the basic mix of flour, water, oil, and salt. Those characteristic dimples in the crust? They do more than add a note of rustic charm; they create air pockets as the dough rises, yielding the airy texture while also providing little crannies to hold a final sprinkle of olive oil on top.
Chef Beau Owens at Tavola wins raves for his thick, fluffy version of focaccia, made with double-zero flour imported from Italy. “The garlic flavor we put on our focaccia is what stands out to me,” Owens says. “We confit our garlic cloves to give them a milder taste. And we finish the focaccia with that oil from the confit garlic and a little bit of sea salt—I think it really pops.”
At Tavola, focaccia comes to the table accompanied by three spreads for dipping or drizzling: truffle honey, garlic confit, and tomato gremolata (akin to a fresh, lightly cooked tomato sauce).
“Focaccia is phenomenal served warm from the oven with just a drizzle of good olive oil,” says the chef. Even so, he suggests adding whatever other toppings you like (his kids prefer it with pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni) to create a little slice of Italy.
Focaccia Recipe
From Beau Owens, executive chef at Tavola
Yield: 8–10 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups lukewarm water (about 110°F)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (2 Tbsp for dough, 2 Tbsp for topping)
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 2 Tbsp (24 grams) instant dry yeast
- 8 cups 00 flour (a specialty Italian flour, available in local grocery stores or on amazon.com)
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch Maldon sea salt
- 1 pinch McCormick Vegetable Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine water, 2 Tbsp oil, yeast, and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Mix flour, salt, and garlic powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Once wet mixture has bloomed (it will start to get foamy on top as the yeast activates), pour it over the flour mixture and mix at low speed for about 2–4 minutes, until the dough comes together.
- Oil a 12”x18” bread pan in which to place the dough.
- Put some water drizzled with olive oil in a small bowl and keep it handy. Before folding the dough, dip your fingers into the water-oil mixture; this will help prevent the wet dough from sticking to your hands.
- Fold the dough in half and press it to the edges of the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and let proof at room temperature (72–78°) for 30 minutes.
- Fold the dough in half again, press the dough to the edges, and wait another 30 minutes.
- Perform your last fold on the dough and place it seam-side down, then press to the edges of the pan. Let dough rest for 18 minutes.
- Once dough has proofed (risen) slightly, dimple the top of the dough with the tips of your fingers.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 Tbsp oil over the dough and sprinkle Maldon sea salt and vegetable seasoning over the top.
- Bake at 425° for 18–20 minutes. Check the bread after 10 minutes or so to make sure it’s not getting too brown. If so, adjust your oven temperature.
- Remove bread from pan and leave at room temperature to cool. Drizzle the top with olive oil before serving.
Chef’s note: You can also cook focaccia in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet sprayed with olive oil.
