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–+ servings

Focaccia Barese (Focaccia from Bari)

Focaccia is a yeast-risen bread that is made from a dough that has such a high proportion of water that it is almost a batter. Crushed tomatoes as well as capers and/or olives are strewn on top. A good sprinkling of dried oregano and a few glugs of good olive oil round out the flavor. In Italy, flour made from durum wheat comes in three grinds: fine, medium, and coarse, called semola (or semola remacinata, meaning “twice ground”), semolina, and semolino respectively. I usually use semola imported from Italy for this bread. If buying domestic semolina (in English, we use the same word, regardless of the grind) look for one that is finely ground.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g bread flour
  • 100 g semola remacinata (finely ground semolina flour)
  • 475 g water
  • 100 g extra virgin olive oil plus more
  • 7 g instant yeast (one envelope)
  • 10 g sugar
  • 15 g salt
  • 14 1/2 oz can whole peeled tomatoes or 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons dry oregano
  • 75 g black olives coarsely chopped optional

Method
 

  1. Put flour, semola, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle, NOT the dough hook, begin to mix on low.
  2. Slowly drizzle in the water. When the water is fully mixed in, sprinkle in the sugar.
  3. Add the salt and beat on medium high you see strings of gluten form in the dough, approximately 4-5 minutes. The dough will get stretchy and if you pull a bit, it should look stringy.
  4. Drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil and mix on medium until well combined.
  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about two hours.
  6. Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes through a sieve. If the tomatoes are whole, coarsely crush them by hand and allow to drain further. If you are using diced tomatoes, crushing is not needed.
  7. Oil a circular baking pan, 12” in diameter x 2” high with more extra-virgin olive oil.
  8. Pour in the dough. Lightly oil your fingertips and press into the dough, without stretching, until it is evenly spread out in the pan.
  9. Arrange crushed tomatoes, capers, and olives, if using, on top. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano.
  10. Cover the pan and allow to rise. If you have another baking pan of the same size, turn it upside down and use it as a cover. If not, invert a large bowl over the baking pan. Whatever you do, be sure there is some space above the rim of the pan so that the dough has room to rise.
  11. When the dough reaches the top of the pan, carefully transfer it to the oven so it doesn’t deflate.
  12. Bake at 375°F with convection (or 400°F without convection) for approximately 35 minutes, turning once or twice, until browned and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
  13. Cool the bread in the pan set on a rack before removing it.

Notes

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