Focaccia recipe with dry yeast: Make your own dough and suitable toppings - here's how

Lovers of Italian cuisine will recognize it from pizzerias and perhaps even from their home ovens: focaccia, a light and airy flatbread with delicate Mediterranean flavors. It's enjoyed with or without toppings and lends itself to countless variations. This delicious yeast dough flatbread requires only a handful of ingredients – here's how to bake this bread specialty yourself.

The list of ingredients for focaccia is straightforward: flour, salt, yeast, water, a little sugar, and a whole lot of olive oil—that's all you need for the basic recipe. Other ingredients can be added as needed and to taste, for example, with fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary or a variety of toppings like sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and red onions.

The basis of a good focaccia is yeast dough, which is actually very easy to make.

For one focaccia bread, use these ingredients and quantities:

• 500 g wheat flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 320 ml water (warm)
• 1 packet of dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1–2 teaspoons sugar

Additionally, toppings and herbs can be added (if desired), depending on your personal taste. Popular examples include:

• olives
• Cherry tomatoes
• Green or black olives
• Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, basil or oregano
• Caramelized onions
• Coarse sea salt
• Green pesto
• Parma ham
• pepperoni
• Mozzarella
• Additional olive oil for drizzling

1. First, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl, then add the warm water and olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly until a sticky dough forms.
2. Knead the dough thoroughly on a work surface. After about ten minutes, the dough should be smooth, pliable, and still slightly moist and sticky.
3. The finished dough is formed into a ball and placed in a lightly oiled bowl in a warm place for about an hour. The yeast will slowly cause the dough to rise. Once it has roughly doubled in size, it's ready for further processing.
4. For the dough ball, return it to the work surface, where it is rolled out and should be about one centimeter thick. Whether it's a rectangle or a circle, the rolled-out dough is placed in a suitable baking pan or on a baking sheet. The dough can then be carefully stretched to ensure it fills the corners. Cover everything with a towel and let it rest for another 20 to 30 minutes.
5. A distinguishing feature of focaccia are the small holes in the dough, which are pressed into the dough in the next step. This can be done with a wooden spoon, for example, but can also be done easily with your fingers. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.
6. Now it's time for the topping. Cherry tomatoes, olives, rosemary sprigs, and other ingredients (note: less is often more) are placed and gently pressed into the dough. Finally, a little olive oil is added to the focaccia, either simply drizzle it on or brush it on. If you like, you can also sprinkle some salt and paprika over the ingredients.
7. The focaccia now goes into the preheated oven and bakes until lightly golden brown and cooked through. Baking time: about 20 minutes.
8. Finally, remove from the oven, drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired, and cut into slices or pieces. Enjoy warm – enjoy!

Anyone who wants to present this delicious Italian flatbread to their guests or order focaccia in a restaurant cannot avoid the correct pronunciation. The correct pronunciation is [foˈkatːʃa]. Translated from Italian, focaccia simply means "flatbread."