This has been a huge discovery on a visit to the city of Bari in Puglia. Focaccia Barese is the snack for excellence in Bari made of a soft flatbread with a crispy and golden crust and topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, and aromatic oregano. Surprisingly, the essential ingredients of the Barese Focaccia are simply boiled potato and durum wheat semolina.
Yields: 6 portions
Prep Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 20 mins Total: 3 hrs 20 mins
What is the Focaccia Barese?
This Italian focaccia bread is the snack for excellence in Bari. There is no time of the day that is not appropriate to eat it. In fact, you can find it in the bakeries in the early morning and most often eaten for lunch by most school kids. Wrapped in oiled paper will remain soft till the midday break.
It’s also a very convenient takeaway snack to eat at the beach, for city walks, and for picnics often accompanied by the tastiest mortadella.
How to do Focaccia Italian Olive Bread?
Noteworthily, every family from Bari would have their own special mix, using some secret ingredients passed from generations making the dough unique and difficult to copy. The secret ingredient can be as simple as a pinch of sugar or a particular spice.
Prepare the dough
STEP 1
Boil a medium potato, drain, and while still hot, reduce it to a puree using a masher.
STEP 2
In a large bowl combine and sift the flour and semolina. Then add the yeast dissolved in lukewarm water, the mashed potatoes, and the maple syrup (or molasses). Mix by hand or using a mixer.
STEP 3
Add the salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and knead until you have a smooth dough without lumps adjusting with water if necessary (You can add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky)
STEP 4
Put the dough to rise into a bowl, arrange the dough and let rise for about 1½ to 2 hours. If you’re going to use two different baking trays then divide immediately into two bowls. Leave in a warm place covered with plastic wrap. The volume of the dough should double the volume
Assemble the Focaccia Barese
STEP 5
Grease two baking trays with olive oil lay the leavened dough and with your fingertips enlarge giving the desired thickness. (32cm) Bake in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.
STEP 6
Season with cherry tomatoes washed and divided in half, oregano and olives if you like. Sprinkle the focaccia with salt and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and let it rise again in the pan for 20 or 30 mins.
Bake and Serve
STEP 7
Bake the Bari focaccia in a preheated oven at 220° C static for about 20 minutes. For 5 minutes place the pan under the grill to obtain a nice browning.
STEP 8
Enjoy it alone or with cold cuts and cheeses to taste.
Focaccia Toppings
I love to leave the standard Bari toppings for this Italian focaccia bread:
- Bari olives
- Cherry tomatoes
- Oregano
- Drizzle of olive oil from the region of Puglia
However, it can also be topped with rocket leaves, tomatoes, mozzarella di Bufala, mortadella, or any other meat/cheese vegan alternatives.
Focaccia Barese Italian Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the dough (2 32cm Focacias)
- 300 g Flour
- 200 g Durum wheat semolina
- 350 ml Water
- 100 g Potato
- 50 ml Olive oil
- 1 g Salt
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup or Molasses
To Season
- 400 g Cherry tomatoes
- 20 Olives
- 5 g Salt
- 5 g Oregano
Instructions
- Boil a medium potato, drain, and while still hot, reduce it to a puree using a masher.
- In a large bowl combine and sift the flour and semolina. Then add the yeast dissolved in luke warm water, the mashed potatoes and the maple syrup (or molasses). Mix by hand or using a mixer.
- Add the salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and knead until you have a smooth dough without lumps adjusting with water if necessary (You can add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky)
- Put the dough to rise into a bowl, arrange the dough and let rise for about 1½ to 2 hours. If you're going to use two different baking trays then divide immediately into two bowls. Leave in a warm place covered with plastic wrap. The volume of the dough should double the volume
- Grease two baking trays with olive oil, lay the leavened dough and with your fingertips enlarge giving the desired thickness. (32cm) Bake in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Season with cherry tomatoes washed and divided in half, oregano and olives if you like. Sprinkle the focaccia with salt and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and let it rise again in the pan for 20 or 30 mins.
- Bake the Bari focaccia in a preheated oven at 220° C static for about 20 minutes. For 5 minutes place the pan under the grill to obtain a nice browning.
- Enjoy it alone or with cold cuts and cheeses to taste.
Notes
- You can do the Focaccia Italian Bread with Bread Machine.