I made this small batch focaccia bread recipe three days in a row because I wanted to make sure I wasn't fluking the recipe. I can guarantee that it worked each and every time, and there was a reason we didn't have any leftovers after three batches!
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This small-batch focaccia will definitely have you coming back for more, and experimenting with different focaccia toppings. I'll take you through each of the steps and help you succeed in making your first (or tenth) focaccia bread.
focaccia bread ingredients
Flour. Bread flour or all-purpose flour both work well. If you use all-purpose flour in focaccia, it will turn out slightly more dense in texture. However, it won't be hugely noticeable. Bread flour has higher protein content so if this is important to you, I would suggest getting your hands on bread flour for focaccia.
I used Lighthouse Bread & Pizza from Woolworths.
Yeast. Instant dry yeast is best for focaccia as it can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients. Active yeast needs rehydration and takes longer to rise. If you have active yeast, check the instructions on the packet for how to use it.
I used Lowan Whole Foods Instant Dried Yeast from Woolworths, but you could use Tandaco Dry Yeast which comes in 7g sachets (it just costs more for the convenience). The 7g sachets can be used if you double my recipe.
Salt. When making bread, it's important to use the right amount of salt given the amount of flour you are using by weight. I recommend using 5g (1 teaspoon) per 250g (2 cups) of flour. Any good quality salt will work in the mixture, but I recommend good, flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top.
Water. To get the water to the right temperature, I use a 3:1 ratio with tap water and boiled water.
Olive Oil. Olive oil is used in the dough and on top of the dough. A lot of recipes call for olive oil on the bottom of the pan as well, but I found it didn't work as well as using cold butter to coat the pan. And
I'll tell you why - when you put oil in the pan, it all sinks to the bottom. My first batch of focaccia ended with some bread still attached to the sides because there wasn't enough oil coating it. By using cold butter and physically painting the pan, the bread came out really easy.
I recommend a good-quality extra virgin olive oil. As there's not many ingredients in a focaccia, having good-quality is recommended. You could also mix this up and use flavoured olive oils like onion & garlic.
focaccia toppings
Rosemary and olive oil are the GOAT focaccia toppings in my opinion. But, there are many toppings you could use.
Here are some focaccia topping ideas:
- Sundried tomatoes and olives.
- Tomato and basil.
- Caramelised onions and roasted garlic.
- Ham & cheese.
- Spring vegetables (asparagus, zucchini etc.)
- Cheese.
- Sandwich meats.
- Pesto.
You can incorporate your focaccia topping ingredients in a couple of ways:
- Add them to the top as you would rosemary and other herbs. Make sure they are coated in olive oil to prevent burning.
- You can add them into the dough mixture before the first time you fold the dough.
how is focaccia made?
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and yeast with a fork. This ensures a good blend among the ingredients.
Add water and oil to the flour mixture.
Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes sticky.
Once combined, cover it with a dry tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Wet your hands and fold the dough from the outside to inside up to a dozen times (like a clockface).
Cover with the tea towel and let it rest for a further 30-60 minutes until it grows in size 150%.
Grease a small non-stick baking dish well with butter. I use a piece of parchment paper and use it like a paintbrush against the pan.
Pour the focaccia dough directly into a baking dish. If it sticks, use a wet spatula. Fold the dough vertically then horizontally and gently stretch to fit the pan.
Cover and rest for a further 30-60 minutes. Once rested and risen, the dough should wobble inside the dish.
Wet your fingers and gently dimple the dough. Why dimple focaccia? It holds all the toppings and olive oil to give it the golden hue once cooked.
Mix your topping ingredients with olive oil and pour over the focaccia dimples.
Bake for 20 minutes @180C until golden brown on top.
Eat immediately while warm, or focaccia will stay fresh for about 4 days if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Ways to eat focaccia
You can eat the focaccia bread on its own. The olive oil, salt and rosemary will give it delicious flavour and it's pillowy soft so you don't get the heavy texture from other breads. In addition to the rosemary and olive oil, I add crushed garlic so it has a subtle focaccia garlic bread taste.
Here are some other ideas:
Focaccia sandwich: cut the bread in half horizontally and add any sandwich fix-ins.
Focaccia toasted sandwich: as above, and then toast the focaccia in a sandwich press. This will decrease the pillowy softness of it though.
Focaccia and dip: Use the focaccia to dip into any number of combinations.
Focaccia pizza: cut the focaccia horizontally and add any pizza toppings to the inside and grill. You don't want to add the pizza ingredients to the outside as that would leave the pillowy inside exposed and might make the texture funny.
Dishes to have with focaccia bread
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Recipe
Small Batch Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 250 g bread flour (See Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast (See Note 2)
- 1 teaspoon salt (See Note 3)
- 230 ml warm water (170ml cold, 60ml boiling)
- 2+2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoon cold butter for greasing (See Note 4)
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves only
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt and yeast with a fork.
- Add water and 2 tablespoon oil to the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and sticky.
- Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Once rested, wet your fingers and fold the dough from the outside to the inside up to a dozen times. Turn the dough slightly each time so you fold a new section. Rest for a further 30-60 minutes (This depends on the humidity. It should grow in size at least 150%).
- Grease a small non-stick pan well with the butter (I used an 18cmx12cm pan).
- Pour the dough into the pan. Fold the dough vertically then horizontally and gently stretch to fit the pan.
- Cover and rest for 30-60 minutes (It should grow again). Once rested and risen, the dough should wobble inside the dish.
- Wet your fingers and gently dimple the dough.
- Mix garlic, 2 tablespoon oil and rosemary leaves together then pour over the dimples.
- Bake for 20min @180C. It should rise again slightly and be golden brown on top.
- Eat immediately while warm, or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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