How To Make A Focaccia Garden
Soft and airy focaccia is infused with rich olive oil making this easy recipe a rustic and artisan style bread that you get to enjoy right out of the oven. Dress it up with herbs, flowers, or vegetables from the garden before baking to create your own focaccia garden. (Jump to Recipe)
My go-to breads for baking from scratch are typically not focaccia. I love the rustic dutch oven breads that are no-fuss and don’t need any kneading. When I saw a few hall worthy pictures of friends’ focaccia gardens, I had to make one for myself. It was more fun decorating the blank canvas of focaccia with herbs and flowers from the garden than I had expected.
I remember walking into a small local grocery store in Rome years ago. We loaded our cart with a case of waters and snacking essentials to bring back to our Air BnB and as we walked towards the back of the grocery store, there was a little 4×4 sized bakery with a man baking fresh bread. There was square cut pieces of focaccia with different toppings in the front of the bakery for sale that had been baked earlier that day. We grabbed one of each and munched on them on our way back to our Air BnB. So here in my own kitchen, I am brought back to focaccia filled dreams walking through the streets of Rome.
To Make A Focaccia Garden..
Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast and let the yeast feed off of the sugar for a few minutes.
Next, add flour, salt, and olive oil and knead the dough with a standing mixer and a fitted dough hook or knead the dough by hand. Since I’ve baked about 30 loaves this year, I was up for the challenge and kneaded it by hand.
Place the ready dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot for one hour. It should double in size. This is the first rise.
Spread a little olive oil in a baking sheet and turn the dough over into the baking sheet once it is done rising. Begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with olive oil and continue to stretch it until it reaches the sides and corners of the pan. Make holes with your fingers and cover with plastic wrap. Put the dough in a warm place once more until it has doubled in size. This is the second rise.
When the second rise is finished, then only drizzle it with olive oil and arrange your choice of herbs/flowers/sliced vegetables. Make it simple with just plain herbs or get really creative and arrange your selection into a garden landscape.
After you design your canvas of focaccia, sprinkle it with sea salt, and bake for 25 minutes. Use this artisan style bread to slice in half and use for sandwiches, eat alongside a bowl of soup, or simply enjoy it as is.
A few toppings you can use to create a beautiful garden landscape:
- Edible flowers – such as pansy, lavender, pea flower, daisy, chamomile, violet, viola, cornflower, marigold, squash flowers, etc..
- Bell peppers (large or mini) – thinly sliced
- Cherry tomatoes – whole or cut in half
- Large tomatoes – sliced (This is how I remember eating it in Rome)
- Olives – whole or cut in half
- Roasted garlic
- Asparagus – long stems
- Zucchini – thinly shaved and rolled into a bouquet
- Parsley
- Chives
- Rosemary
- Green onions
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Basil
- Sage
- Dill
Before throwing all of your ingredients onto the dough, make a rough draft or lay out your vegetables, herbs, and flowers on a counter and arrange them there first before transferring them to the dough. If you don’t have enough room to decorate a portrait layout, switch it up and do a landscape.
If you make a Focaccia Garden, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I’d love to hear what you think about it, or better yet, see what you’re cooking! Tag me on IG, @fettysfoodblog with your creation.
Focaccia Garden
Soft and airy focaccia is infused with rich olive oil making this easy recipe a rustic and artisan style bread that you get to enjoy right out of the oven. Dress it up with herbs, flowers, or vegetables from the garden before baking to create your own focaccia garden.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
- 1 tbsp sea salt, plus additional for sprinkling
- 1 cup olive oil, divided
- Choice of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers
Instructions
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Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.
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In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky.
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Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle or two of flour if the dough is really sticky.
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Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
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Coat a medium sheet pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Put the dough onto the sheet pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit all sides of the pan. Poke holes with your fingers. Cover with plastic wrap.
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Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and get your vegetables, herbs, and flowers ready.
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Lightly drizzle a little oil on top of the focaccia and sprinkle the top with sea salt. Arrange the blank canvas of focaccia with your choice of vegetables, herbs, and flowers on top, gently pressing them into the dough. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.
Recipe Notes
Variety of toppings you can use to create a garden landscape:
- Edible flowers – such as pansy, lavender, pea flower, daisy, chamomile, violet, viola, cornflower, marigold, squash flowers, etc..
- Bell peppers (large or mini) – thinly sliced
- Cherry tomatoes – whole or cut in half
- Large tomatoes – sliced (This is how I remember eating it in Rome)
- Olives – whole or cut in half
- Roasted garlic
- Asparagus – long stems
- Zucchini – thinly shaved and rolled into a bouquet
- Parsley
- Chives
- Rosemary
- Green onions
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Basil
- Sage
- Dill
Hi there, how do you keep the flowers and delicate herbs from burning during cooking?
Hi Sera!
As long as you don’t over bake the focaccia, the flowers and herbs will not burn. They will get toasted and dry out as they bake, which is absolutely normal for a focaccia garden. 🙂