Italian Focaccia Variations (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Dough Base

01 - 3/4 cup water, heated to about 40°C/104°F
02 - 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
03 - 4 tsp granulated white sugar
04 - 1 tsp yeast (instant or rapid rise)
05 - 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt or table salt
06 - 1 2/3 cups bread flour
07 - 1/2 cup mashed potato, well-packed (about 125g or half a large starchy potato)

→ To Bake

08 - 4 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
09 - 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt flakes

→ Garlic and Herb Topping

10 - 3/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
11 - 5 garlic cloves, finely sliced
12 - 2 1/2 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped

→ Tomato Topping

13 - 3/4 tsp oregano, dried
14 - 12-14 cherry tomatoes, red

→ Olive Topping

15 - 3/4 tsp oregano, dried
16 - 16-18 Kalamata olives, without pits

# Instructions:

01 - Chop a peeled potato into 1-inch chunks and boil for 10-15 minutes, checking tenderness with a skewer. Drain and mash completely smooth. Cool it down before measuring needed amount.
02 - Mix yeast, salt, sugar, and flour in a big mixing bowl using a sturdy spatula.
03 - Pour olive oil and warm water into a hole in the middle of the dry mix. Stir with your spatula until flour disappears. You should get a sticky dough, too sticky for hand-kneading.
04 - Plop in the mashed potato. Fold it in with your spatula, then smear the mix against the bowl until it's all blended in and forms a rough ball.
05 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it somewhere warm (about 25°C/77°F) for half an hour. The dough should puff up by at least 50% or double its size.
06 - Add a few teaspoons of olive oil to a fresh bowl and spread it around with your hands. Move the dough over, and fold its sides toward the middle six times. Form a ball, then cover it again with plastic wrap.
07 - Place the dough somewhere around 25°C/77°F and let it rise another 30 minutes. It should grow by about 50-100%.
08 - Coat a metal non-stick baking pan (26.5 x 20 x 5 cm or a 9"/23 cm round pan) with 2 tbsp olive oil, smearing it along the bottom and up the sides.
09 - Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan) before you bake. Make sure you give it at least 15 minutes to heat up properly. Place the rack in the middle.
10 - Move the dough into your oiled pan and stretch it out to cover the base. It might take some coaxing since it’s stretchy. The top doesn’t have to be perfect yet.
11 - Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 40 minutes. The dough should puff up some more and reach 25-30% higher.
12 - Drizzle 2 tsp olive oil over the surface, spreading it gently with your fingers. With your fingers like claw shapes, press deep into the dough to make the characteristic holes down to the bottom.
13 - Choose your favorite topping. Press it gently into the dimply dough, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil on top, and sprinkle sea salt flakes.
14 - Pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes. The top should be a rich gold with crispy edges and the sides nicely crusty.
15 - Move the bread to a rack to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top if you'd like when serving.

# Notes:

01 - Skip the bland, sugary focaccia of the 90s. This one's got a crispy crust outside and soft, chewy fluff inside!
02 - For the Garlic Rosemary Topping: Gently heat oil and sliced garlic for 10 minutes—no sizzling, just a soft poach. Strain, let cool, press on focaccia, and sprinkle rosemary.
03 - For the Cherry Tomatoes: Mash each tomato a bit as you press it into the dough. Sprinkle oregano on top.
04 - For Kalamata Olives: Press olives lightly into the dough surface and dust oregano on top.

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