Why does the title say potato focaccia but I don’t see any potatoes? Well, because they’re hidden inside the dough! The grated potatoes are the secret ingredient to make this rosemary focaccia bread super soft and fluffy. It’s so delicious on its own or even used as sandwich bread for lunch or for a snack.
I always heard of potato focaccia in Italy and I tasted it from a bakery, but only recently attempted of making it myself. Some recipes add grated raw potatoes but I preferred this version with cooked potatoes. The starch of the potatoes and their consistency, make the bread more soft and chewy.
I loved playing also with the size of the rosemary focaccia, making it into a small baking pan instead of a large baking tray, as I do with my Classic Focaccia Bread. This way it didn’t spread and it came out super tall and fluffy. Perfect to slice in half and use as sandwich bread!
How to make Potato Focaccia
It’s very easy to make this potato rosemary focaccia! All you need is time and patience to let it rise.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl (1) and mix well, first with a spoon or spatula and then with your hands, until you get a smooth and slightly sticky dough (2). You can grease lightly the bowl if you want but it’s not necessary. Cover the bowl and let it rest to rise for at least 2 hours, in a warm place.
Once the dough doubled in volume, oil a 9 x 9 inch (22 x 22 cm) baking pan and transfer the dough in it. Spread it in the pan, then cover again with plastic wrap or foil and let it rise again another 30 minutes. Then drizzle some olive oil on top and make holes with your fingers (3). Add some more oil if needed. Then sprinkle salt all over the surface and add the fresh rosemary (4).
Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let it cool 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Can you freeze Focaccia Bread?
Yes, you absolutely can freeze Focaccia bread and I actually recommend it unless you plan on finish the whole thing on the same day. After a couple of days, the bread will start becoming stale and lose its softness, while freezing will preserve its freshness.
I usually portion the bread into squares and then add them to a freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 6 months. You can thaw easily in the microwave, this way you’ll get a warm Focaccia bread just as fresh and soft as out of the oven.
Having frozen portioned bread is very handy for a snack once in a while or to have it ready for a last-minute lunch. I always have some Focaccia in my freezer and it’s my favorite bread ever!
FAQ & Tips
Yes, you can absolutely use dried rosemary in place of the fresh one. Or you can use any other herb you prefer, like thyme, sage, or oregano.
Fresh and dry yeast are very different in terms of quantity and usage. For this recipe, I only suggest using instant dry yeast for the best result. You can substitute with 0.6 oz of fresh yeast, melted in warm water with sugar before adding it to the other ingredients, but I cannot guarantee the same results. You can also use the same amount of active dry yeast instead of instant dry yeast. The only difference is that you need to bloom the active dry yeast in warm water with sugar for about 10 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients.
Like all homemade bread, it doesn’t stay fresh and soft for long. After 24 hours it already starts drying up and after 2 days it will be crunchy and not pleasant. That’s why I recommend freezing the focaccia within 24 hours to keep it fresh for up to 6 months.
Since the potatoes need to be mashed to be incorporated in the dough, the best type of potatoes to be used are the starchy kind, like the Russet Potatoes.
The Recipe
If you like this recipe, try also these other bread recipes:
You can find step-by-step photos, tips and a video in the post above.
Rosemary Potato Focaccia
Ingredients
- 7 oz Potatoes
- 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 cup Water, room temperature
- 1 package Instant Dry Yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Peel and boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Let them cool, then mash them with a potato ricer into a large bowl.
- Add the flour, olive oil, sugar, instant dry yeast and salt to the bowl and mix well, first with a spoon or spatula and then with your hands, until you get a smooth and slightly sticky dough.
- You can grease lightly the bowl if you want but it's not necessary. Cover the bowl and let it rest to rise for at least 2 hours, in a warm place.
- Once the dough doubled in volume, oil a 9 x 9 inch (22 x 22 cm) baking pan and transfer the dough in it. Spread it in the pan, then cover again with plastic wrap or foil and let it rise again another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top of the focaccia and make holes with your fingers. Add some more oil if needed. Then sprinkle salt all over the surface and add the fresh rosemary.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let it cool 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Thank you so much!
2 Comments
L J Mesh
March 30, 2021 at 8:54 pmVery easy to make and the rising time is certainly worth it when taking the focaccia out of the oven and enjoying the rich fragrance and flavor of this bread!
Jessica - Cooking my Dreams
April 1, 2021 at 1:08 pmThank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂