Focaccia di Olive | Olive Focaccia

Focaccia, also known as Pizza Bianca, means a plain pizza. This version is one my little Italian grandmother made often. She always used black cured olives that she and my grandfather made from their olive trees. Usually, focaccia will have a drizzle of EVOO accompanied with olives, or sun-dried tomatoes pushed into the dough and sprinkled with savory herbs like rosemary. Have fun trying different toppings; be sure to crack open a delicious bottle of Capitoni Orcia Riserva from Tuscany to enjoy with every bite of focaccia!

Receipt Date: May 10, 2022

Difficulty: Easy

Measurements: Imperial (US)

See ingredients, directions and pairings.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups Bread Flour

1 1/2 cups Luke Warm Water

2-4 tablespoons EVOO, plus more to oil the pan

1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 cup Olives of your choice, pitted

3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary, destemmed and chopped

Sea Salt Flakes, I like Maldon

Directions

Preheated oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl until well blended.

Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, or until foamy. Add the EVOO and sea salt, mixing to blend.

Start to incorporate the flour, a little bit at a time, until a ball of dough is formed.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and knead the dough until it is soft and elastic, about 7 minutes. Add more flour if needed.

Oil a quarter-sheet 9×13 inch baking pan with EVOO.

Tip the dough out from the bowl onto the pan. Turn it over to coat the other side of the dough with olive oil.

Using your hands, pat the dough down to fit the pan. Try to maintain the same thickness all over.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Massage a generous amount of EVOO all over the top of the bread.

Lightly oil your fingertips and press them down into the dough to imprint typical dimples all over the focaccia. Place an olive into random dimples until each olive has been buried into a dimple. Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt flakes.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm.