Easy Foccacia Bread small batch Recipe with yeast

By Apurvi Bansal

Today’s Recipe is Focaccia bread made in small batch, I have used a 5 inch square pan to bake it.

This is an Easy Focaccia bread Recipe that can be made at home easily.

Focaccia is essentially a flat leavened oven-baked Italian bread, a pizza flatbread so many people call it Focaccia pizza or Italian bread Focaccia.

This bread is light, soft with bubble like structure with flavoured with Olive Oil what more can one ask,

So Try this Focaccia bread Recipe and serve it as a side dish or as a sandwich bread, I even use its slice to make garlic bread sticks or you can say Garlic focaccia use it however you like, you are sure to love it.

Yeast

This Focaccia bread is made using yeast other method that you can use is by using sourdough hence, called sourdough focaccia bread.

Here, I have added yeast in warm water, by warm water I mean is that if you put your finger in the water it should feel warm, lukewarm and you should not feel discomfort add sugar to the water and give it a stir then add your yeast here, I have used active dry Yeast.

Then I have covered the glass with a lid and let the mixture rest for ten minutes to let the yeast bloom.

After ten minutes or so you will find that the mixture have turned frothy and there is foam on the top this is the sign that your yeast is ready to use.

If you do not see mixture turn frothy then wait a bit longer say five or ten minutes to let it bloom if even after this additional time it does not turn frothy discard it and make this yeast mixture again. It is better to discard this mixture then to use it in the recipe as the end result will not be what you expected as the yeast is not functioning properly it will be a waste of your time, hard work and ingredients.

Flour

I have used regular All purpose Flour for making my Focaccia bread aside, from it I have added vital protein which is high in gluten and helps by increasing the overall protein of my dough that is gluten content of my bread thus helps in achieving that beautiful texture commonly found in Breads, this works as a good replacement when you are using regular flour instead of special bread flour.

You can always omit using vital protein instead replace the given quantity by your regular flour and continue with the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

115gm Warm water

1/4tsp Sugar

3gm Active dry Yeast

115gm All purpose flour

5gm Vital Protein

1tsp Salt (adjust according to taste)

1tsp Pizza seasoning

62gm Olive Oil (use in parts that is little by little)

Toppings-

Veggies of your choice

Pizza seasoning

Olive oil drizzle (use from given quantity)

Method:

• For making Focaccia bread In a glass take 115gm warm water not hot that means you should be able to put your finger in the water without any problem, Add 1/4tsp sugar and mix it in then add 3gm of Instant yeast mix it in and cover the glass with a lid and let the yeast bloom it will take about 10 minutes you should see whether small bubbles have started forming that means the yeast has started activating

• In the mean while, In a bowl take 150gm All purpose flour add 5gm of vital protein if you do not want to simply add 5gm of All purpose flour, 1tsp Salt, 1tsp of pizza seasoning mix everything, Now transfer the dry ingredients onto the kitchen counter or you can proceed in the bowl itself.

• Using your finger create a well for pouring our yeast mixture, Pour all of it in the centre and mix it with the dry ingredients to form a dough,

• Now add olive oil, In the recipe I am using total 62gm of Olive oil (Do not use it all in one go instead in parts in smaller quantity). Add quarter of the quantity and continue to knead the dough

• Knead for about 5 minutes since it is a sticky dough use a scrapper to help with kneading, Now pour the 1/4 of the oil in to the bowl and transfer my dough in it.

• Knead it lightly to incorporate all the oil, cover with a cling wrap and keep it to proof for about half an hour,

Be sure to apply oil in the inner surface that is the side facing the dough with oil otherwise dough will stick to the cling wrap,

• After half an hour remove the cling film and using just your finger lift the dough from bottom from one side stretch it and tuck it to the opposite side. Repeat this process on all side you can count each pull to help you know when to stop I count till 70-75 that is I do this pull and tuck movement atleast 70 times,

• As our dough is sticky you might be tempted to add flour but do not add, cling wrap it and let it proof for second time till it doubles in size, once our dough has risen transfer the dough into the baking tin greased with oil.

•Do not knock the air out simply transfer the dough, pour some oil on to the dough also on your fingers it will help to create that classic pattern without having to worry about dough sticking on my fingers, Push the dough on all sides and press it in creating the uneven surface,

• Cover with the cling wrap and leave it to proof for the third and final time for 15 minutes, Now add some sliced Red, yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and Olives you can add any veggies you like or none at all dress it to your liking,

• Drizzle some Olive oil left from the total quantity and still leave some, sprinkle pizza seasoning on top and

Bake this focaccia at 200C for 18-24 minutes till you see a nice golden colour on top.

• Lastly brush the left over Olive oil on the freshly baked out of the oven focaccia bread.

*I have used the total of 62gm Olive Oil in this whole Recipe be mindful while adding it in parts in Recipe and do not be tempted to use any extra.