Focaccia Barese al Pomodoro e Olive (Homemade Italian Focaccia with Tomatoes and Olives)

How do you get soft focaccia? The Italian secret is to add one potato to the dough. This foolproof traditional recipe will become the only one you ever need!

Step: 1

Place potato into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Step: 2

Peel potato; mash in a large bowl with a fork. Pour in flour and mix well with your fingertips. Rub together until mixture is even and free of lumps.

Step: 3

Combine 1 cup water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well and let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 5 tablespoons olive oil.

Step: 4

Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture; mix, adding remaining 1 cup water a little at a time, until a soft dough forms. Mix in 1 tablespoon salt.

Step: 5

Knead dough on a clean work surface until smooth and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Step: 6

Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place dough on the baking sheet; stretch into the corners. Arrange tomatoes and olives over dough.

Step: 7

Mix remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons water together in a bowl. Brush mixture over dough. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon salt on top. Cover with a damp cloth; let rise for 30 minutes.

Step: 8

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step: 9

Bake focaccia on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lift up with a fork to check bottom is golden brown. Transfer to the middle rack and bake until top is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Sprinkle oregano on top.

Per Serving: 386 calories; protein 10g; carbohydrates 58.9g; fat 12.3g; sodium 1295.7mg.

The best flavour of the flour could make a real difference to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal bread , which doesn’t always getting bigger as well as clear bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can start it night before , then finish it off the next day.