Focaccia is a crossover between bread and pizza. Soft and fluffy, you can serve it with a meal to soak up delicious sauces, slice horizontally and stuff with prosciutto and mozzarella to create hearty sandwich, or slice up to enjoy as part of a charcuterie board or a yummy snack. This recipe is simple, but the results will be amazing, providing you weigh your ingredients and don’t rush the process.

Dough Ingredients

• 560 g all-purpose flour
• 550 g lukewarm water
• 6–8 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 7 g (~ 2 tsp.) traditional active dry yeast
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt

Topping Ingredients

• 4–5 canned tomatoes, cut into 6–8 pieces, liquid drained
• ¼ cup Mediterranean black olives, pitted and halved
• 1 tbsp. each of oregano and coarse salt

Instructions

Combine sugar, water, and yeast, and let stand 10–15 minutes or longer, until it creates foam on top—similar to the top of a beer. 

Combine flour and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture in three additions, adding 2 tbsp olive oil with the first addition. Mix by hand or wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.

Line bottom of a 9” × 13” pan (2” deep) with parchment and fully coat bottom with 2–3 tbsp. olive oil.

Pour dough into pan, drizzle with 2–3 tbsp. olive oil, cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Remove from fridge and let stand covered on counter for 1 hour.

Add desired toppings. Some prefer to squish the tomato and olive pieces down into the dough, others like to decorate the top. Both options are fine.

Bake at 425 °F (218 °C) for 15 minutes, rotate pan and bake another 10 minutes.

Let cool, and Buon appetito!

Notes on Olives

Traditionally, Bella di Cerignola or Sal Secco olives are used. If not available, you may use Kalamata or another variety.