Focaccia Barese
Focaccia is the quintessential snack of Bari. Summers along the Barese coast wouldn’t be the same without focaccia – it’s the perfect beach food! – though the same could be said for mid-morning or afternoon snacks at any time of the year. Bakeries all over Bari have it on display from the wee hours of the morning while streets are filled with its tempting scent.
Filling yet easy to eat on the go, focaccia can replace a meal, though it’s most commonly eaten as pick-me-up in between meals or instead of bread.
The version below, with cherry tomatoes, olives and oregano, is the most common. Make it the day you want to eat it to enjoy it at its best.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Focaccia Barese
- 200g of plain flour
- 200g of semolina flour
- 100g of strong bread flour
- 10g of fresh yeast, plus more as needed
- 300g of water
- 150g of potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 15g of fine sea salt, plus more as needed
- 500g of cherry tomatoes
- 20 black olives
- dried oregano, as needed
- freshly ground black pepper
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Food mixer fitted with a dough hook
Method
1
Combine the three flours in a large bowl. Take 100g of the flour mix from the total and place it in a separate bowl
- 200g of plain flour
- 200g of semolina flour
- 100g of strong bread flour
2
In another small bowl, melt the yeast in 100g water; whisk until completely dissolved. Pour it over the 100g flour mix and stir to combine. Wrap the bowl with cling film and leave it to mature in a warm, dry place for 2 hours
- 10g of fresh yeast, plus more as needed
- 300g of water
3
By this time it should have doubled in size and have lots of little bubbles on the surface. This is your starter. In the meantime, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with a fork then set aside to cool
- 150g of potatoes, peeled and cubed
4
From this point onward, you can proceed by hand or using a stand mixer with a hook attachment. Add the starter to the remaining flour mix. Pour over the remaining water, a little at the time, and fold through to incorporate. Next, add the mashed potatoes and knead until fully combined
5
Finally, add the oil, bit by bit, then the salt. The dough will be a bit sticky at this point, which is normal. Keep kneading either by hand or in the stand mixer until the dough appears smooth and very elastic, about 10 minutes
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 15g of fine sea salt, as needed
6
Dust a work surface with a generous dose of flour and transfer the dough onto it. Dust the dough with flour, too, then flatten it slightly and fold it over itself letter-style. Do this again with what’s now the longer side. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it, folded-side down, in a large bowl. Leave the dough to rise in a warm, dry place for about 3 hours
7
Use your hands to grease a baking sheet with a generous splash of olive oil. Take the dough and transfer it to the greased sheet; use the tip of your fingers to spread it all the way to the edges of the sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave it to prove for 30 minutes
8
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and season them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Scatter them on the risen focaccia, alongside the olives. Drizzle the surface of the focaccia with olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano. Leave to prove for 1 hour
- 500g of cherry tomatoes
- 20 black olives
- dried oregano, as needed
9
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
10
Place the focaccia on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until puffed up and deeply golden and cooked all the way through. Finally, place it on the bottom shelf of the oven for 5 minutes to crisp up the edges
11
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Cut it into wedges or strips and enjoy warm or at room temperature
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