Zuni Café’s Focaccia Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

christine

Let's stop covering things with plastic wrap-not recyclable- use a shower cap or a plate or a damp tea towel.

Carole Cassidy

I bought a bunch of “shower caps” in 3 sizes on Amazon a while back. They are great, reusable many times, easy to wash, and save soooo much plastic wrap.

hermione

I agree. You can also use paper or parchment. Grocery paper bags that are biodegradable are good. Smear a bit of oil inside the bag on the part that will be above the dough. Then put the baking dish or bowl inside and pinch the open end of the bag with a couple of wooden clothespins. Parchment is also good. Just tent it above the dough. Unlike damp tea towels, it doesn't stick to the dough. But I like your plate idea the best and will definitely try it.

Linda

No stand mixers in Ancient Rome, where this was invented!

Gabriela from.Argentina

That's exactly what I do! Let stopusing and overusing plastic!

S McIntire

Aren't shower caps plastic? Damp tea towel, except for the last rising -use a dry tea towel.

Lori Alden Holuta

My favorite breadmaking bowl has a plastic snap-on lid that's held up well for almost 20 years! Perfect for this purpose. I do like the idea of a shower cap, though - and it can be washed and reused many times.

hermsoven

The focaccia was very tasty a half hour out of the oven. I cut it into 3 inch squares and as I wolfed it down I couldn’t imagine a hamburger being inside. Just too much to handle. French fries with this bread is sheer gluttony. I will use half the stipulated rosemary next time, and just bring the bread to the table, cut into smaller rectangles, to eat with any other main course. The recipe should be easy to prepare for any amateur baker. I successfully used Caputo 00 chef’s flour instead of AP.

Jennifer

The second time I baked this, I substituted 25% whole wheat flour for 25% of the bread flour and all-purpose flour; let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator for the first rising; and baked it in two eight-inch square pans rather than the rectangular. That way it was easy to cut into eight evenly sized buns; makes more sense to me. The flavor was better with the overnight rise and the whole wheat flour too.

Alice Kaiser

Seems to be a discrepancy in the recipe. Roll out dough to 10" by 14", then "stretch" to fit a 9" by 12" pan? My dough fir quite comfortably in a half sheet pan, 12" by 17".

Kristin

I didn't read the entire recipe, and didn't have time for a 40 min rise in the pan but was using a larger sheet pan, so it was fine. I think it would have been great brushed with a tiny bit of olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

suzanne

My rise times were significantly longer than the recipe suggests, Step 7 requiring closer to an hour-and-a-half to see the dough reach the edge of the pan. Otherwise, everything else was right on and made for one tasty hamburger.

Susan

I found this to be kind of bland and lacking in the nice spongy, pull-apart texture I look for in foccacia; it was more like wonder bread. Does anyone know how this dough responds to being refrigerated for a few days before baking? I'd try it again if someone said it adds complexity to the flavor. Otherwise, I'm searching for a different recipe.

Hannah

Very tasty - and easy, too! Made as-written but for one change: I halved the recipe, and formed the dough into four buns. This was one bun fewer than suggested for the half recipe, but I found this made for a not-too-large burger bun, redolent with rosemary. An idea for the future: double the number of buns while keeping the dough amount the same (so, eight buns for the half recipe, or sixteen for the full) and you have slider buns!

JeffB

I cut the dough in two and cooked it in my air fryer, after the dough spent the night in the fridge. It came out perfectly.

Gabi

Ok! Not great. The regular focaccia recipe is much better. I wanted to make it same day and although I got it same day I think it’s just not worth it. took much longer to rise for me as well. Everyone talking about single use plastic. It doesn’t matter what we do. Kylie Jenner took a 3 minute private flight. The mega rich and corporations are the biggest polluters, if it isn’t equitable for you to buy a nice beeswax cover or shower cap use your plastic. Let’s not gatekeep bread.

Diana

It could be the shape. I have never made Focaccia to resemble corn bread cubes, but my Focaccia usually looks like the French Fougasse, which is shaped like a banana leaf with large holes in it. I will try to make it with this recipe as soon as I am able, and will circle back with comments.Being a frequent guest of Zuni Cafe, I cannot imagine anything cooked there that is not delicious.

Francesca M. Austin

I would store this in beeswax wrap - if there’s any leftover to store! Way to go Ms. Callan.

Gerry

Quick and easy, but does not have the crumb (big holes) and texture of traditional focaccia. Even so, if the amount of dough could be coordinated with the size of the pan, the thickness (which as too thick, as is) could be adjusted to split for sandos or for burgers. (But, so could Italianate focaccia)

Paula

Although I agree that this is nothing like a traditional focaccia, I really like this recipe. It doesn’t have a lot of taste, so the rosemary is a must. But it has a really nice texture. It’s soft and fluffy yet has some body in the bite. Even good the next day, not dry at all.

Cory Cater

The focaccia was very tasty a half hour out of the oven. I cut itinto 3 inch squares and as I wolfed it down I couldn’t imagine a hamburger being inside. Just too much to handle. French fries with this bread is sheer gluttony. I will use half the stipulated rosemary next time, and just bring the bread to the table, cut into smaller rectangles, to eat with any other main course. The recipe should be easy to prepare for any amateur baker. I successfully used Caputo 00 chef’s flour instead of AP.

Jennie

Eh--not flavorful, and not a good texture--soft inside, but without the unctuousness of other focaccia. Maybe it's not intended to be like other focaccia. Easy though.

Jennifer

The second time I baked this, I substituted 25% whole wheat flour for 25% of the bread flour and all-purpose flour; let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator for the first rising; and baked it in two eight-inch square pans rather than the rectangular. That way it was easy to cut into eight evenly sized buns; makes more sense to me. The flavor was better with the overnight rise and the whole wheat flour too.

Susan

I found this to be kind of bland and lacking in the nice spongy, pull-apart texture I look for in foccacia; it was more like wonder bread. Does anyone know how this dough responds to being refrigerated for a few days before baking? I'd try it again if someone said it adds complexity to the flavor. Otherwise, I'm searching for a different recipe.

Hannah

Very tasty - and easy, too! Made as-written but for one change: I halved the recipe, and formed the dough into four buns. This was one bun fewer than suggested for the half recipe, but I found this made for a not-too-large burger bun, redolent with rosemary. An idea for the future: double the number of buns while keeping the dough amount the same (so, eight buns for the half recipe, or sixteen for the full) and you have slider buns!

KL

My initial rising time was off also but I keep a very cool house in the winter, which worked out perfectly since I was able to go off & attend an afternoon event & 4 hours later the fociccia was ready for step 3. Letting the dough rest often is key to getting it to fit in the pan. I did drizzle the top of the fociccia with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt flakes before baking. Wiping one side of the plastic wrap with olive oil keeps it from sticking to the dough.

Susan

I used 1 tsp zahtar in lieu of rosemary and sprinkled and lightly pressed into top with “everything bagel seasoning” just before baking. Delicious with butter.

suzanne

My rise times were significantly longer than the recipe suggests, Step 7 requiring closer to an hour-and-a-half to see the dough reach the edge of the pan. Otherwise, everything else was right on and made for one tasty hamburger.

Gayle

Is 1.5 tsp yeast one packet? Fresh or dried rosemary?

Hannah

Yeast packets tend to contain 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. Use fresh rosemary.

Alice Kaiser

Seems to be a discrepancy in the recipe. Roll out dough to 10" by 14", then "stretch" to fit a 9" by 12" pan? My dough fir quite comfortably in a half sheet pan, 12" by 17".

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Zuni Café’s Focaccia Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour for focaccia bread? ›

Focaccia made with high-protein bread flour produces the best results, but all-purpose flour will work as well.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy? ›

Why is my focaccia not fluffy or chewy? It could be the type of flour you used. The best flour to use to make focaccia bread is bread flour which gives you fluffy baked bread. Or, it could also be because you did not knead the dough enough for the gluten to form a structure which can result in flat or dense bread.

Why did my focaccia come out tough? ›

Why is my Focaccia dense and tough? Not allowing the focaccia to proof long enough in the fridge will prevent enough gluten from being formed. This causes flat and dense focaccia once baked.

Why is the bottom of my focaccia not crispy? ›

The heat of a baking steel is necessary for getting a crispy bottom on a focaccia pizza. The cheese and sauce on top of the dough insulate the pan too much for the bottom to get crispy otherwise.

Is focaccia dough the same as bread dough? ›

What is focaccia bread made of? It's made of the same ingredients any bread is made of. Flour, water, yeast, salt, and a little olive oil for softness. But instead of rising it in a loaf pan, you flatten it with your hands and let it rise.

Does focaccia have to rise twice? ›

Ingredients: Almost all focaccia varieties use flour, water, salt, oil, and yeast. Two rising periods: In the first period, the dough is mixed together, then set to rest and rise (also called bulk fermentation). In the latter period, the dough is deflated, then transferred to a pan for a second rise.

Is focaccia bread healthier? ›

Another advantage of focaccia is that it's made with extra-virgin olive oil, which is full of 'good' fats, as opposed to lard, butter or palm oil found in commercial baked goods, which can contain hydrogenated fats and which, when consumed in excess, favor a rise in levels of 'bad' cholesterol, to the detriment of your ...

How long is homemade focaccia good for? ›

Homemade focaccia is best on the day it's made, but it will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you'd like to have it on hand for longer, I recommend freezing it. It thaws and reheats nicely!

Can you over knead focaccia? ›

Tips for the perfect homemade Focaccia.

Don't over-knead your dough– In the first step, make sure the dough has come together enough that it's sticky but not smooth, this will help to make the much desired air bubbles.

Should focaccia be thin or thick? ›

The thickness of a focaccia can vary, too, but an authentic focaccia genovese should be rather thin, even if it needn't be quite as thin as my version presented here. So many non-Italian renditions of “focaccia” are more like bread in their thickness.

Can you overwork focaccia dough? ›

If mixed too long the dough can become loose and sticky. The water that was absorbed by the flour gets released back into the dough and the gluten structure breaks down. After this there is no way to fix it. It will be a loose, soggy, and sticky mass unable to hold in fermentation gasses.

Should you punch down focaccia dough? ›

As Elizabeth Yetter wrote in her helpful primer "How To Punch Down Bread Dough," the more air pockets "you can remove from the dough, the finer the grain (or crumb) will be." While that's great for sandwich bread or sweet rolls, it's not as desirable for loaves, like focaccia, where you want airiness.

How do I know when my focaccia is done? ›

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F (220°C), and bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 205°F (96°C), about 10 minutes more. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

Why do you poke holes in focaccia? ›

Dimpling (aka poking holes) in focaccia helps to release gas and air, which helps your focaccia to maintain its signature flat look. At the same time, olive oil that's drizzled onto the foccacia is able to infuse into the dough for a truly wonderful flavour!

What flour is used for bread in Italy? ›

Grano duro is slightly yellow, more granular, and more commonly used for pasta and some breads in the south of Italy. It's also knows as durum wheat flour. Grano tenero is generally what we think of as white flour, and is more broadly used in bread, pizza, and pastry, and northern pasta doughs.

What is the best Italian flour for bread? ›

Farina 1 or 2

Even coarser than the previous types, these soft wheat flours are best used for bread and pizza.

What flour makes the best tasting bread? ›

Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, ranging from 12% to 14%. That makes this type of flour ideal for all kinds of bread recipes, including hearty sourdoughs, tender brioche, and lacy English muffins.

Is best for bread flour the same as self rising flour? ›

No. Self-raising flour is effectively plain (all-purpose) flour that comes pre-mixed with baking powder. Strong (bread) flour is flour that contains more gluten than plain (all-purpose) flour. This makes it particularly suitable for making bread, which depends on developing gluten chains within the dough.

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