Garlic Focaccia Bread is an Italian flatbread with the most common toppings being olives, tomatoes, cheese, herbs, or just kosher salt.
What is focaccia?
Focaccia gets its name from the Roman “panis focacius” meaning “hearth bread”. It is pronounced as ‘foh-kaat-chah’. It was apparently made in the hearth using coals hence the name. The humble focaccia has ancient roots. It can be traced to the millennia-old Etruscan civilization, although the root of focaccia is the Latin term ‘focus’ meaning ‘hearth, a place for baking’. Focaccia is considered to be the ancestor of the pizza, and the essential difference is that the focaccia is flattened and left to rise, while the pizza dough is baked immediately. As the Roman culture expanded, so did the variations of the focaccia that were made either sweet or savory. Nonetheless, it is quintessentially an Italian dish.
My first, and therefore, the best focaccia encounter was in a small Ligurian town called Recco. It was over a decade ago, although pretty much every Italian town or city has its own variation, including the Genoese ones which are extremely popular. I found out later that the town was famous for its focaccia con il formaggio or cheese focaccia. I still remember that fresh out-of-the-oven texture and flavor.
Over the years, I have experimented and have tried to create my own focaccia bread. While it does not contain the stracchino or crescenza cheese from my Ligurian memories, my Garlic Focaccia Bread is made using the Genoese technique with a flavorful twist. I added my homemade rosemary pesto with lots of garlic and topped it with freshly picked cherry tomatoes and store-bought black olives. This is an easy recipe to make and get it right every time. You could make a whole batch in advance and have them as a snack or as hors d’oeuvres for dinner parties.
How is focaccia different from pizza?
Focaccia is similar to the pizza dough, but the difference lies in the fact that the former connotes to less topping and more bread and the converse is true for the pizza. Garlic Focaccia Bread can be served at room temperature while pizza is eaten hot. However, the essential difference is that the focaccia is flattened and left to rise, while the pizza dough is baked immediately. It is often considered a precursor to pizza.
How to make the Garlic Focaccia Bread:
- How to make the bread:
- How to make the Rosemary-Garlic Pesto:
- How to assemble the Garlic Focaccia Bread:
- How to make the bread:
- Mix the dry yeast in warm water and add sugar to it. Let it rest for about 5 minutes or until it gets frothy. Sieve the flour with the salt. Gradually, add the yeast mixture, a little at a time.
- Drizzle olive oil and knead to a dough for at least 5 minutes. Grease the bowl and drizzle some with olive oil. Cover with a damp towel and leave it in a warm corner in the kitchen.
- Let it rise for 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size.
- Take the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll into ½” thick oblong or just to fit your baking sheet. Place the oblong onto your baking sheet greased with olive oil. Let it prove for 15 minutes.
2. How to make the Garlic-Rosemary Pesto:
- Grind all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor. (discard the thick stalks of the rosemary)
3. How to assemble the Garlic Focaccia Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use five fingers to poke down holes. Your finger tips must touch the base of the sheet. Drizzle some olive oil. Spread the garlic-rosemary pesto on the bread.
- I used sliced cherry tomatoes and olives on top.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until light brown color on top.
- Slice the focaccia into ~ 2″ x 2″ squares. Serve with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar cruet.
1. Prove the dough well in a warm place in the kitchen. You could also turn on the oven for 2 minutes on the lowest settings and turn it off. Leave the bowl to prove in the oven.
2. Other types of pesto such as basil or sundried tomato pesto may be used on top.
If you like Italian bread, then you could also try my Minestrone Soup with Breadsticks.
Is Garlic Focaccia Bread healthy?
Garlic Focaccia Bread is made of flour, olive oil, and other toppings, making this Mediterranean bread a healthy one. It contains complex carbohydrates that helps release energy that the body needs. If you substitute plain flour with wheat flour, then the bread will be packed with more vitamins and minerals.
How to serve the Garlic Focaccia Bread:
Focaccia bread can be eaten as an appetizer, as a base in pizzas or even as a sandwich. Sometimes, focaccia is served with soups or vegetables.
Garlic Focaccia Bread
Equipment
- By hand; oven
Ingredients
For the Focaccia Bread:
- 3½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2½ tsp dry yeast
- 1⅓ cup warm water
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
For the Garlic-Rosemary Pesto:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the toppings: (optional)
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup olives sliced
Instructions
How to make the Focaccia Bread:
- Mix the dry yeast in warm water and add sugar to it. Let it rest for about 5 minutes or until it gets frothy.
- Sieve the flour with the salt. Gradually, add the yeast mixture, a little at a time. Drizzle olive oil and knead to a dough for at least 5 minutes.
- Grease the bowl and drizzle some with olive oil. Cover with a damp towel and leave it in a warm corner in the kitchen.
- Let it rise for 1 hour. The dough should have doubled in size.
- Take the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll into ½" thick oblong or just to fit your baking sheet. Place the oblong onto your baking sheet greased with olive oil. Let it prove for 15 minutes.
How to make the Garlic-Rosemary Pesto:
- Grind all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor.
How to assemble the Garlic Focaccia Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use five fingers to poke down holes. Your finger tips must touch the base of the sheet.
- Drizzle some olive oil. Spread the garlic-rosemary pesto on the bread.
- I used sliced cherry tomatoes and olives on top.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until light brown color on top.
Notes
- Focaccia dough or the baked bread can be frozen.
- Other toppings are cheese, tomatoes, or vegetables of your choice.
- Leftover focaccia can be used to make sandwiches.
Nutrition
i love the addition of sunflower seeds to the pesto! it turned out so well when i made this at home, thanks!
Glad you liked the flavor from the addition of sunflower seeds to the pesto, thanks.
an easy and delicious bread to make!
This is a very tasty bread!
the pesto is really good!
one of my favorite recipes!
Absolutely delicious, Kanchan!