Fall Focaccia
A decorative and delicious bread!
Difficulty: Medium | Time: 50min (active), 3hrs (total) | Yields: 1 Focaccia
Who doesn’t love a delicious slice of focaccia?! This one is sprinkled with rosemary and sea salt, and adorned with sweet potato and beet decorations. This would be such a cute addition to your Thanksgiving feast this year!
Ingredients:
For the focaccia:
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1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 to 115 degrees F)
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2 teaspoons granulated sugar
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1 (0.25 ounce) package active-dry yeast
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4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
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1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for pan and drizzling
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2 teaspoons salt
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2 sprigs fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
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Flaky sea salt for topping
For the decoration (optional):
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2 small sweet potatoes
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4 beets
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sprigs of thyme and dill
Directions:
Make the focaccia:
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In a bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.
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Add 4 cups of the flour, salt, olive oil, and Kosher salt to the yeast mixture, and mix/knead at low speed to combine. Increase to medium speed, and continue mixing/kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. If too sticky, add the remaining ¼ cup flour.
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Remove dough from bowl and shape dough into a ball with your hands. Oil a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, making sure to coat the dough with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
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Once dough has doubled in size, oil a 15in x10in sheet pan with more olive oil, and dump the dough onto the prepared sheet pan. Using all your fingers, gently press and stretch the dough to fit the pan. Then poke your fingers all over the dough, poking all the way down to the pan, don’t be shy.
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Cover the dough with plastic wrap again, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm and draft-free place.
Make the decorations (optional):
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White the dough is rising, make your decorations: Grab your sweet potatoes and wrap them in a paper towel. Microwave them for about 5 minutes so they get a little soft. Slice the sweet potatoes and, using a cookie cutter, cut shapes into the sweet potato slices. I had a pumpkin cookie cutter, a turkey cookie cutter, and some lettered cookie cutters that I used, but you can do whatever you like! You can even free-hand a shape!
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Slice your beets and do the same thing with the cookie cutters.
Decorate and bake your focaccia:
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
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Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle more olive oil on the dough. Sprinkle the top evenly with rosemary and flaky sea salt.
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Gently place your decorative elements on top of the bread.
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Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes on the middle rack. Remove from oven and brush with more olive oil.
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Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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