That doesn’t mean that we can just toss anything on top willy-nilly though, we still need SOME forethought, and as long as we play by the principles we can create something pretty amazing out of the humblest of ingredients kicking around in your fridge/kitchen/pantry.
Here are three simple rules to follow when creating your signature focaccia masterpiece, and some flavour combinations from me:
1. You NEED Olive Oil
Olive oil does four things;
It creates a crispy crust on the top AND bottom of your bread dough
It stops things like fresh herbs from burning
It allows all the lovely flavour from your topping to penetrate deep down into the dough
It brings its own flavour too, so pick a good one!
Whatever topping you choose, mix it first with a generous amount of olive oil, else things like herbs and garlic will dry out on top and turn to ASH (not great).
2. Choose WOODY Herbs
Woody herbs like Thyme, Rosemary, fresh oregano and Sage are PERFECT for focaccia toppings. They are super fragrant and most importantly pretty ROBUST so the oil will take on the flavour really well.
On the other hand, soft and delicate herbs like parsley, chervil and tarragon for example will immediately dry out and crisp on top loosing almost all of their fragrance and nuances in flavour.
Avoid delicate herbs in your topping mixture. They are great for adding AFTER baking, mixed with lovely olive oil :-)
3. Avoid particularly wet things
Tomatoes are great on top of focaccia, but I would always use small and sweet ones (see video below). Big and wet tomatoes will cook up releasing a ton of juice making for soggy pappy areas in your focaccia. Think about what you are adding on the top and if they release a lot of water if they were to be roasted, after all, that is pretty much what’s happening on top of a focaccia.
BIG mushrooms for example would get really wet, but sauteed mushrooms with garlic and herbs would be delicious!
Once you start making focaccia and realise just how simple it can be, you’ll find yourself opening your fridge and getting excited about leftovers! Thinking “I wonder if…” and that’s the real magic of making bread.
Four of my Favourites
This one has been a class classic for many years, sweet roasted tomatoes, garlic oil and fresh thyme.
Halve some cherry tomatoes, red and yellow if you can get them, and squeeze out their juice into a mixing bowl. Add the halves in there too.
Finely grate garlic and pick over some thyme leaves.
Mix together with olive oil.
Spread the tomatoes evenly over your focaccia dough, dimpling a few right down to the bottom to stop the focaccia from ballooning up during baking. Then pour over the tasty juice from the bowl before leaving for the final puff.
Season with flaky salt before baking and drizzle with fresh olive oil after while it is still hot.
Potato, Reblochon and Sage
An onion is the definition of humble, and that’s what makes this one my all time favourite. Cooked low and slow in olive oil with a pinch of salt onion brings out it’s own sweetness without the need for sugar.
Peel and slice an onion and cook it on a medium/low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan with a generous drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt for 20-25 minutes until soft and sweet without any colour.
At the end of cooking stir through some chopped rosemary, set aside to cool.
Spread the onions all over the focaccia and dimple in with your fingertips.
After the final puff season with flaky salt, and after baking drizzle some extra olive oil.
