Focaccia is a popular Italian bread known for its soft texture and flexibility. This Light and Airy Focaccia Recipe brings the essence of Italian bakeries to your kitchen, using simple ingredients to create a delicious bread.
It has a golden crust with a fluffy inside, topped with olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt. This article will show you how to make this visually appealing and tasty focaccia. Whether you’re experienced or new to baking, this recipe will give you a satisfying result.
It’s great for dipping in soups, serving with pasta, or enjoying on its own. This Light and Airy Focaccia will become a regular in your cooking routine. Let’s learn how to make this classic Italian bread together.
How To Make Light And Airy Focaccia?
To make fluffy focaccia bread that is light and delicious, follow these important steps for the best texture and taste. Here is a detailed recipe to guide you in making this soft and tasty bread:
Ingredients
- 3 Cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 & 1/4 cup of warm water
- 3 teaspoons of dried instant yeast
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons of melted butter
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon of coarse salt
Instructions
- Mix the sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Set it aside.
- Put the warm water in a small dish and stir in the yeast. Leave it for around 5 minutes.
- Mix the butter and egg together until they are well-mixed. Then, add the yeast mixture and stir everything together.
- Add the flour mixture little by little. When the dough gets thick, you might need to use a strong wooden spoon to mix it until it becomes stretchy. You can also use a stand mixer to make it easier. Put a lid on the bowl and leave the dough to grow for about an hour until it gets twice as big.
- Put oil on a 9×13-inch baking pan and spread the dough evenly in it. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Pour a lot of olive oil on top. Use your fingers to make shallow holes all over the dough. Sprinkle rosemary and sea salt on top.
- Cook the bread in the oven at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes, or until the top looks golden brown.
- Take the bread out of the pan. You can eat it warm or cold and have fun!
Tips
To make a really light and fluffy focaccia, follow these important tips:
Proper Hydration: The key to making fluffy focaccia is to have a dough with a lot of water. Make sure your dough is sticky and wet because this helps it rise well and makes those airy holes in the bread. Try to make the dough a bit sticky, but not too much. You can do this by adding a little more or less water depending on how humid it is and what kind of flour you’re using.
Gentle Handling: Avoid pressing the dough too hard when moving and shaping it. After it rises once, gently stretch the dough to fit your pan without pushing down too firmly. Before it rises again, use your fingers to make small dents in the dough. This will help keep the air bubbles in the dough, making the focaccia lighter when it’s baked.
How To Store Focaccia?
To keep focaccia fresh and tasting its best, follow these tips for storing it correctly:
Cooling
Start by letting the focaccia cool all the way on a wire rack. This is important because it stops steam from getting trapped, which could make the bread wet.
Room Temperature Storage
After it has cooled down, cover the focaccia in plastic wrap or put it in a sealed container. You can keep it at room temperature for 2 days. This is a good way to store it if you want to eat it soon and keep the crust crunchy.
Refrigeration
If you want to save the focaccia for a few more days, wrap it in a plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to keep it moist. Put it in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to eat it, heat it in an oven at 350°F until it’s warm and the crust is a bit crispy.
Freezing For Longer Storage
To store the focaccia for more than a few days, wrap it tightly in a plastic wrap and then put it in a freezer bag or wrap it in foil. You can freeze it for up to a month. When you want to eat it, thaw the focaccia in the fridge overnight or leave it out for a few hours at room temperature. Then, heat it in the oven to make it warm and tasty again.
How To Serve Focaccia?
Focaccia is a type of bread that can be served in many tasty ways.
As A Side
You can serve focaccia bread with pasta, soup, or salad. Its taste and texture go well with big meals.
With Dips
Slice the focaccia into small pieces or strips and serve it as a starter with different dips. Some good options are olive oil and balsamic vinegar, hummus, or any savory spread.
Sandwiches
Use pieces of focaccia bread to make sandwiches. The strong texture can handle many different fillings, such as Italian meats and cheeses or grilled veggies and pesto.
Pizza Style
Begin by adding cheese, tomato sauce, and your favorite toppings to the focaccia bread. Bake it until the cheese is melted. This creates a simple and fast focaccia pizza.
Toasted Snack
Toast slices of focaccia until they are crunchy, then add garlic butter or cheese on top for a tasty snack. This will make the bread taste fresh again, even if it’s been sitting for a day.
Learning to make light and fluffy focaccia bread is a great way to enhance any meal. This recipe uses basic ingredients to create a bread that is easy to customize and tastes great. The focaccia has a nice flavor from the olive oil and a soft texture that goes well with many different foods. You can add toppings, serve it with meals, or make it into snacks or sandwiches. By following a few important steps when making it, you can make high-quality focaccia at home to enjoy with others.
Thanks for reading. I hope you find it helpful.
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