Focaccia is vegan
Like my fellow vegans, I have explored many new foods since choosing a plant-based way of life. My taste horizons have certainly expanded, but I am always excited to come across a food that is inherently vegan. Enter, this ultimate focaccia! This delicious Italian flatbread may not be the healthiest of foods (white flour, olive oil) but boy is it exquisite. And vegan. And sometimes, you just have to pull out the, “what’s life worth living” clause.
You Knead This
Full disclosure…this is NOT my recipe, but a melding together of Paul Hollywood’s (GBBO fame!) focaccia recipes and tutorials. Despite this British bread guru’s abilities, focaccia (for us regular folk) is a relatively easy bread to make. A stand mixer is a help, but hand kneading also yields great results. Just be ready to roll up your sleeves and get a good workout in. Check out this video of Paul’s kneading…he perfectly demonstrates how to get it done:
The Basic Ingredients
You will need:
- Bread flour
- Instant yeast
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Any herbs or veggies you like (rosemary, onions, asparagus are what I used)
- Water
- Stand mixer (optional but easier)
- Scale (also optional but just more accurate)
The Process
Gather and measure your ingredients. I have included both measurements (scale and cups/spoons) in the recipe as well as both methods (mixer and by hand).
Add the flour, salt and yeast to the bowl making sure you don’t pour the salt near the yeast (it will kill it 😵) Then add most (300ml or 1 cup) of the water. You’ll mix it with your mixer until combined or by hand for about 2 minutes until all of the water is incorporated.
Next, slowly pour in remaining water. If using your mixer, let it do its thing on medium for about 5-8 minutes until dough is a relatively shiny ball. If mixing by hand (my favorite way, actually, because it feels really cool) you’ll knead and stretch and knead and stretch. Your dough will start like the picture on the left and end like the one on the right:
Here is how it looks if you use a stand mixer:
Olive oil required
As I mentioned earlier, olive oil is not exactly healthy (in terms of true whole food plant based-ness) but it is necessary. It gives this beautiful ultimate focaccia the most gorgeous flavor and texture. Thus, in the final knead, you will pour a bit of olive oil (rather than flour) on your surface and tip the dough on top of it. If you haven’t done so already, watch the video above for the technique.)
Proof is in the Prove
Now it’s up to nature to let the yeast do its thing. Place your dough in an oiled bowl or container, cover and let stand at room temp for an hour. The allows the dough to prove, meaning that the yeast is activated, fermenting the dough and producing gas bubbles which makes the bread expand or rise. One hour should allow the dough to double in size:
In the Meantime
While your dough proves, prepare your toppings. I used onions, sundried tomatoes, asparagus and a little fresh rosemary and thyme. Feel free to choose whatever you like. A little hint…if you are going to use fresh herbs, rub them with a little olive oil so they don’t burn in the oven. The recipe below gives the step by step topping prep.
Shape and prove again
Again, put a little oil on your counter and pour the doubled-in-size dough on top. Stretch the dough a bit and place it in your oiled sheet pan, gently pressing the dough to all corners. Press your fingers down in to it to give the dough the dimpled focaccia look. Now press in your toppings as shown:
Once your toppings are set, allow the focaccia to rest another hour for a second prove. It will again rise and fill the sheet pan.
Bake your ultimate focaccia!
Near the end of your second prove, preheat the oven to 425F. and set the rack to the middle. Before placing your focaccia in the oven, drizzle again with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt or kosher salt. IN about 25 minutes, you’ll have a gorgeous pan of the most ultimate focaccia. The hardest part is letting cool a bit before digging in.
What are you waiting for?
Crispy crust, light crumb with beautiful olive oil flavor, this is the ultimate focaccia. Great plain or enhanced with herbs and veggies, focaccia is just delicious and relatively easy to make.
- 500 grams bread flour (4 cups)
- 14 grams instant yeast (5 teaspoons)
- 1 tsp salt
- 30 ml olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- 400 ml cool water 1⅔ cups
- 1 medium red onion sliced thin
- ½ bunch fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- few sprigs fresh rosemary and/or thyme leaves removed from sprig
- 2-3 tbsp extra olive oil for counter, pan and last drizzle
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Pour bread flour in bowl of mixer.
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Add yeast to one side of flour and salt to the other side.
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Drizzle olive oil over top.
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With mixer on low, mix ingredients together.
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Add 300ml or 1 cup of the water and continue to mix on low until combined.
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Slowly add the remaining water and knead with mixer up to ten minutes until dough resembles a shiny ball.
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Place the dough onto an oiled counter or board and knead by hand for a minute or two until dough is a nice soft ball.
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Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap.
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Let dough rest in a warm room (not over radiator or in oven) for one hour until dough doubles in size. This is the first proof.
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Add flour, salt, yeast and olive oil to a large mixing bowl as per above, being careful not to pour salt on top of the yeast.
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Mix ingredients with hands until well combined.
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Add 300ml (or 1 cup) of the water and start to knead with your hands until all of the water is incorporated.
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Slowly add the remaining water and continue to knead for about 5-6 minutes. (See video) This will be a soft sticky dough.
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When the dough is nice and stretchy, tip it on to the oiled counter or oiled board.
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Continue to knead for about another 5 minutes until you have a soft shiny ball.
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Place dough into a large oiled bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap.
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Let dough rest in a warm room (not over radiator or in oven) for one hour until dough doubles in size. This is the first proof.
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Add olive oil to large cast iron pan over medium heat.
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Sauté onion, trying to keep rings intact (looks prettier on focaccia if you can do so), for about 5-7 minutes util stqarting to color. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.
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Sauté asparagus for 2-3 minutes until bright green. Remove to plate and set aside.
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Lightly oil fresh herbs in your hands. (this keeps them from burning in oven) Set aside.
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Prepare a large sheet pan by rubbing surface with oilve oil.
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Pour a little olive oil on your counter top or board.
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Tip the now doubled in size dough onto the oiled countertop.
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Knead and stretch the dough for a minute or two.
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Place dough into prepared pan, gently pushing dough to sides and corners and pressing down into it with your fingertips.
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Add prepared veggies and herbs by pressing them onto the top of the focaccia.
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Let focaccia rest for another hour. You do not need to cover it this time. This is the second proof.
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Preheat oven to 425°F. Set oven rack to middle.
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After the second proof, drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the focaccia and sprinkle with kosher salt.
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Bake for about 25 minutes until dark gloden brown.
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Let cool a bit before eating!
Recipe Video
