A soft flavorful Focaccia bread with plenty of good olive oil and salt to make every bite unforgettable. Eat it by itself as a snack, turn it into a sandwich or eat it as bread side for lunch or dinner. However you eat it, you're gonna love it!
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There are many different varieties of Focaccia Bread in Italy. Every region or even cities have its own variety of Focaccia recipe.
In Siena - where I was born and raised - we call it "Ciaccino" and we have 2 different varieties of it. "Ciaccino" is usually a very thin bread that can be plain or stuffed with Mozzarella and Ham or Mozzarella and Tuscan Sausage. Then we have the "Ciaccino Alto" (Tall Focaccia) which is about 2-3 cm thick, very soft in the middle but with a crunchy crust on the edges (my favorite part).
Both varieties are super oily and salty to be perfect. They always bake in very large baking sheets and are sold in square cuts (I always buy the corner so it has a more crunchy crust). Check out also this Easy Guide to Italian Bread Types and this Easy Italian Spelt Bread (with Instant Yeast).
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Tuscan Focaccia
If you ever visit Siena, I can tell you that the best "Ciaccino Alto" in town is made by Panifici Sclavi. While you can find the best stuffed "Ciaccino" at Pizzeria Poppi (Everybody knows the famous Ciaccino del Poppi in Siena).
However, if you just travel a few kilometers away from Siena and ask for a Ciaccino in a local bakery, the bakers will look at you like you said some nonsense. This is because nobody knows what Ciaccino is outside of Siena. Around Italy, the Focaccia bread has many different varieties and names. It's called Schiacciata or Ciaccia in other parts of Tuscany. Focaccia Genovese in Liguria region. Pizza Bianca (White Pizza) in Lazio region, and so on..
Ingredients
- Flour: You can use either all purpose flour or bread flour (farina 00) for best results. Pizza flour like this Caputo flour will also work wonderfully.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar or raw cane sugar both work.
- Salt: Fine salt is used in the dough, while coarse salt is sprinkled on top of the focaccia.
- Instant Yeast: Instant yeast is my favorite for a quicker dough. You can also use active dry yeast but remember to let it bloom first.
- Olive Oil: Good quality extra-virgin olive oil will make the focaccia super delicious!
Check the recipe card below for full quantities and instructions.
For the best authentic result, I do not recommend any substitution for these ingredients.
How to make Focaccia Bread
Add the sifted flour to a large bowl and mix it with the dry yeast. Add the sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 6 tablespoons of oil. Mix with a fork and slowly add the warm water, a little bit at a time.
When the ingredients are uniformly mixed, transfer the dough to a large wooden cutting board or wooden/marble table, sprinkle with flour, and knead energetically the dough for at least 10 minutes.
Now put the dough in a large bowl and cover the bowl with a cloth or a lid. Set it aside in a warm place to rise for about 1 and a half hours or until it doubles in size.
Then with your fingers or with the back of a knife punch deep holes all around the dough, then cover all with enough oil to fill the holes and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle some olive oil. Then, with your hands stretch out the Focaccia dough in it. Set it in a warm place to rise again for about 30 minutes.
Bake at 200°C / 390°F or 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
The best ways to eat Focaccia
When I was a kid I remember I always used to buy a corner of Ciaccino in the local bakery in my countryside little town while I was waiting for the school bus and then bringing it to school for breakfast. Although sometimes I could not resist the tempting scent and I immediately took a bite (no regrets!).
- Focaccia is simply amazing plain as it comes out of the oven. I enjoy it as a late breakfast or as an afternoon snack. It doesn't need anything else.
- You can use it also as flavorful bread for your sandwich and take it to work or school for lunch. The best stuffing is ham, mozzarella, and salad. But also with salami or prosciutto as Italians do.
- Focaccia is just a more flavorful and oily cousin of bread so of course, you can also enjoy it as a side for your salad, lunch, or dinner. Turn it into crunchy croutons for your dinner or use it to scoop up gravy from your plate.
FAQ & Tips
Focaccia Bread is best eaten the same day as it may dry out overnight. The next day you can still reheat it in the microwave to soften again but otherwise, I recommend freezing it the same day and then thaw and reheat in the microwave whenever you want.
You can try using wholegrain or other types of wheat flour. Though I have not tested it and cannot guarantee the result.
Focaccia is usually eaten at room temperature, just like normal bread. But it is AMAZING still warm fresh out of the oven.
Similar Recipes you might like:
- Puff Pastry Mini Pizzas
- Taralli, Italian Snack
- Mini Parmesan Flatbreads
- Goat cheese and Mushroom Pinwheels
- Onion Focaccia
If you tried this recipe, please take a moment to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me! ★★★★★
📖 RECIPE
Ingredients
Method
- Add the sifted flour in a large bowl and mix it with the dry yeast. With your hands make a hole in the middle and add the 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 6 tablespoon of oil.
- Mix with a fork and slowly add the warm water, a little bit at a time until you get a sticky dough.
- When the ingredients are uniformly mixed, cover the bowl and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down to remove the large air bubbles and stretch and fold the dough on itself. Set aside to rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat one more time.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and with your hands stretch out the Focaccia dough in it until you have a nice rectangle with uniform thickness.
- Drizzle some olive oil and set it in a warm place to raise again for about 30 minutes. Then with your fingers punch deep holes all around the dough, then cover all with enough oil to fill the holes and sprinkle with abundant flaky salt (as much as you like).
- Bake at 200°C / 390°F or 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Video
Notes
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