Herbed Focaccia Bread

The Origin of Focaccia:

Focaccia is such an old bread that no one really knows the original recipe. It is thought to have either come from present day Northern Italy before the Roman Empire or from the ancient Greeks in the first millennium BC (yes that’s a B). Focaccia is derived from “panis focacius” which means “hearth bread” as focaccia was baked over coals in ancient Roman times. Ancient Roman focaccia was also rather plain as it was used more as a dipping bread.

As the Roman Empire began expanding, so did their bread which traveled to Spain and France where it became a poor man’s food to feed slaves. As time went on, the focaccia became more and more of a staple and more and more delicious as bakers began experimenting with toppings which becomes the focaccia you know and love today. Read all about it here!

How to Make This Herb Focaccia Bread Recipe

What is herb focaccia bread made out of?

In addition to the usual bread contenders of bread flour, salt, and water, what makes this Italian focaccia recipe stand out is the olive oil. It’s in the dough, it’s on the dough, it’s everywhere. As for toppings, we use any fresh, woody herbs you like the taste of such as oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, etc which gives this easy herbed focaccia bread recipe an herby taste. Note that this herb focaccia bread recipe uses a Biga preferment that you must make the night before.

Make the Biga Preferment (the night before):

This easy herbed focaccia bread recipe uses a Biga preferment (also known as a starter) which you make the night before. Cool. What is that? It is essentially making a small portion of the dough ahead of time to allow it to age. This aging gives a better flavor, gives strength to the flours, and gives a jumpstart to the proofing process. Once it sits overnight, you add it to the dough as a regular ingredient.

Mix the Dough:

When mixing the dough it is important to mix the yeast with lukewarm water first. You need to activate active dry yeast in warm water in order for the yeast to work properly. Just don’t heat too high or else you will kill your yeast. This dough has a higher hydration level and therefore tends to be a bit stickier and looser. The actual mixing is just mixing all ingredients with a paddle until the dough becomes shiny and cleans the sides of the bowl which can take about 10-15 minutes. But it should also achieve the windowpane test which demonstrates the gluten development in the dough (explained more below).

The science of kneading:

Flour is composed of starch and protein and the proteins are called glutenin and gliadin which are long and tangled. Together, glutenin and gliadin form gluten. Kneading rubs these “subproteins” together to stretch them out, line them up, and cross-link themselves to create a net that helps retain gasses during the proofing stage. Kneading also incorporates oxygen in the dough which helps yeast breath and produce carbon dioxide. The windowpane test proves if you have developed enough gluten strands for proper structure to help retain those gasses for the final rise. 

Test for the windowpane by taking a small portion of dough and roll into a ball. Stretch it out gently starting in the middle. Stretch it into a square and until the center is a thin film. If your dough easily stretches thinly without tearing, then the dough is strong enough and enough gas can be retained in the network of gluten strands. If it rips easily, then you need to develop more gluten strands by more kneading/mixing. You should also see the network of gluten strands. It’s called the windowpane test because light should be able to pass through like through a window.

Allow to Proof and Fold:

After all that work of mixing and providing a GREAT net of gluten strands, the dough needs a break. During that break the yeast activates, eats the carbohydrates, and releases carbon dioxide. That net you just weaved kneading is now doing its job. Periodically throughout the proofing, the dough undergoes a series of tri-folds. Folding helps develop dough strength, creates a better network of gluten strands, and helps regulate dough temperature. After your dough has gone through the entire proofing process, it’s time to transfer to your baking vessel.

Loosely Shape and Bake:

Transfer your dough to an olive oil lined pan if it’s not already in there and loosely try to fill out the pan with your fingers. If it doesn’t fill every corner or nook and cranny I promise it will expand a lot during baking so do not stress out. The best part of it all though is poking it with your fingers and creating all those little caverns for olive oil (drool). Don’t forgot to top it with your herbs or whatever and bake until an internal temperature of at least 180*F.

Ways to Enjoy Herbed Focaccia Bread

Just wanted to drop some suggestions for consumption here in case you needed a little inspo. Its great for breakfast with an egg as well as avocado toast. Obviously, its great dipped in olive oil, and even better dipped in soup. This also, makes a BOMB sandwich bread.