Focaccia bread art is the latest culinary trend taking over kitchens. This creative process encourages home cooks to turn their homemade focaccia into works of art using a range of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. Learn how to make focaccia bread using the recipe below and discover the wonderful process of creating focaccia bread art using a range of delicious toppings.
What is focaccia bread?
Focaccia is a soft flat loaf bread that provides a blank canvas for decorating. It’s easy to make as
What toppings are suitable for focaccia bread art?
Herbs: chives, green onions, basil, parsley, rosemary, dill, oregano and thyme.
Vegetable slices: capsicum, carrot, zucchini, radishes, mushrooms, red onion, cherry tomatoes, squash, green onions, chillies and asparagus spears.
Edible flowers: herb flowers, nasturtiums, Calendula, cornflower, viola, pansy, sunflower and lilac.
Other: seaweed, olives, and capers.
Focaccia bread recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon raw sugar
- 3 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
- 1 1/4 cups white flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Optional extras:
- Colourful edible toppings of your choice (see above)
- 1 to 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
- Coarse salt
- Dried oregano or rosemary
Method
- Combine yeast with warm water and let it stand to dissolve for 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and two tablespoons of oil.
- Combine the flowers and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture. Use your hands to combine all the ingredients.
- Once combined, place the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Add extra flour as you knead the dough until it loses its stickiness.
- Work the dough into a ball and place it into a floured bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit in a warm place to rise for an hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle shape. Place the dough on baking paper and let it rise again for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C Fan). When the dough has finished rising, evenly poke shallow holes into its surface using your fingers. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and brush it evenly with a pastry brush or your clean fingers.
- Arrange your toppings on top of the dough in a nice pattern, then sprinkle the garlic, coarse salt and herbs.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden on top. If the bread sounds hollow when tapped, it’s time to take it out of the oven. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Find loads of focaccia bread art inspiration here.
