Welcome back to your favorite baking and dessert blog! A crisp crust with a soft crumb and rich, developed flavors – that’s how I can describe this Farmer Veggie Focaccia. Focaccia is an Italian bread leavened using yeast and baked to golden brown perfection. You can eat it as is or make a sandwich with it. This Italian flatbread was initially a poor man’s meal and barely had toppings. It evolved to what it is now through generations of bread making. The dough has so many air pockets, so you need to poke the dough using your fingers so that the air bubbles don’t come up to the surface during baking, basically, yes, that aesthetic part that every focaccia video out there starts with!
A little about the beauty of no-knead bread:
This blog would be pointless if I didn’t explain it briefly. Jim Lahey wrote a book called “My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method.” It talks about a unique way of making bread: you don’t knead the dough to create gluten. Gluten is developed through a long rise time given to the dough. The dough has significantly higher amounts of moisture, naturally forming gluten over a long period.
A little about this veggie focaccia bread:
My aunt has a beautiful rooftop garden and during winter, her garden was teeming with fresh produce and I had to make something honouring the veggies. The harvest was a lot and I made a bunch of recipes with it, mostly savory. But this roasted vegetable focaccia is what I chose to share with you today.
Table of contents:
- Equipment required
- Ingredients required
- Procedure
- Step-by-step picture
- Video Tutorial
- FAQ
- Recommended recipes
- Recipe Card
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What equipment do I need to make roasted vegetable focaccia?
Round Baking tray
What ingredients do I need to make focaccia with vegetables?
Yeast
I used active dry yeast, which is a dried form of yeast that needs to be hydrated to activate. Yeast feeds on sugar to create alcohol and carbon dioxide, so honey is mixed to provide the yeast with some sugar. Instant yeast is also available in markets that do not require any activation.
Honey
Honey is used to provide sugar to the yeast for feeding.
Flour
I used all-purpose flour to make this focaccia. Make sure you sieve it to get rid of any impurities. It is the main ingredient for making good bread, and knowing about it is essential.
Olive oil
Focaccia is an Italian bread, and it deserves nothing less than olive oil. Make sure you purchase cooking olive oil for use in baking or cooking. This recipe uses generous drizzles, and I don’t want you to feel shy.
Roasted veggies of your choice
I used carrots, tomatoes, and capsicum.
Dried herbs
I would prefer using fresh herbs any day, but for this one, I used the dried herbs placed on my counter.
Salt
Salt is incorporated after proofing to add flavor to the bread.
How to make focaccia with vegetables?
Activation of yeast
Mix lukewarm water, yeast, and honey and let it activate for 10 minutes. Here, you are waiting for the yeast to feed on the honey, break it down, and produce carbon dioxide and alcohol. When the yeast is activated, you will see bubbles on the mixture. Add it to the sifted and measured flour.
Making the dough
Mix it well with a spatula to make a sloppy dough. This, right here, is the best part about no knead bread.
Pour generous olive oil into a bowl and drop the dough in. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Make sure you don’t cover it with a damp towel, or you will end up with skin on the dough’s surface.
I kept mine for 12 hours. You can leave for up to 24 hours.
Proofing
Take out the dough and fold it from four sides. Refer to the video to see how it is done.
Generously grease your baking dish with olive oil and place the dough inside. Spread it out evenly so that it is even on all sides.
Do not worry about the dough reaching the edge of the bowl. It will spread automatically during the proofing process.
I used a baking tray this time. You can use a baking dish of any shape. Just make sure it has enough space for the focaccia to double in size.
Place it in a warm place and proof until it has doubled in size. Mine took 2 hours to double up in size.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/392 degrees Fahrenheit.
Baking
Now, generously spread olive oil on the dough. The more, the better 🙂
Now comes the fun part. Dock with your fingers and then place the veggies on the focaccia.
Sprinkle the herbs.
Bake your bread at 200 degrees Celsius/392 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Every oven is different, so check after 20 minutes.
You will know it is done when it is golden brown on top.
Have it as is, or make a beautiful sandwich out of it.
A step-by-step guide with pictures to make veggie focaccia:
Frequently Asked Questions about veggie focaccia:
What makes focaccia different from bread?
Unlike regular bread, focaccia is fluffy, has air pockets, and is enriched with olive oil, giving it a moist texture and golden crust.
Is focaccia healthier than bread?
Focaccia isn’t necessarily healthier, but when homemade, you can control the amount of olive oil and toppings.
Why is focaccia not vegan?
Traditional focaccia uses honey for yeast activation, but swapping honey with maple syrup makes it vegan.
Why is my focaccia not fluffy?
This usually happens if the dough wasn’t proofed long enough or the initial fermentation time was too short.
Why does my focaccia smell sour?
A sour smell indicates stale yeast or that too much yeast was used in the dough.
How do Italians eat focaccia?
Italians enjoy focaccia warm or at room temperature, either as an appetizer or alongside main dishes. Pair it with mashed potatoes for a cozy dinner table spread!
How do you make focaccia crispy again?
Wrap it in foil and reheat at 200°C for 15 minutes. For a crispy top, uncover the foil for the last 2 minutes.
7 Steps to the Best Veggie Focaccia
Best no knead veggie focaccia in just 7 steps and solving all your FAQs to help you create that perfect airy focaccia!
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- Lukewarm water: 200 ml
- Active dry yeast: 2 g
- Honey: ½ tsp
- All-purpose flour: 230 g (sifted)
- Salt: 4 g
- Olive oil: 100 ml (including greasing)
- For the Topping:
- Roasted vegetables: Carrots, cherry tomatoes, capsicum
- Dried herbs: Oregano, thyme, or rosemary
- Salt: To taste
Directions
- Step 1 Mix lukewarm water, yeast, and honey and let it activate for 10 minutes. Here, you are waiting for the yeast to feed on the honey, break it down, and produce carbon dioxide and alcohol. When the yeast is activated, you will see bubbles on the mixture. Add it to the sifted and measured flour.
- Step 2 Mix it well with a spatula to make a sloppy dough. This, right here, is the best part about no knead bread.
- Step 3 Pour generous olive oil into a bowl and drop the dough in. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Make sure you don’t cover it with a damp towel, or you will end up with skin on the dough’s surface.
- Step 4 I kept mine for 12 hours. You can leave for up to 24 hours.
- Step 5 Take out the dough and fold it from four sides. Refer to the video to see how it is done.
- Step 6 Generously grease your baking dish with olive oil and place the dough inside. Spread it out evenly so that it is even on all sides.
- Step 7 Do not worry about the dough reaching the edge of the bowl. It will spread automatically during the proofing process.
- Step 8 I used a baking tray this time. You can use a baking dish of any shape. Just make sure it has enough space for the focaccia to double in size.
- Step 9 Place it in a warm place and proof until it has doubled in size. Mine took 2 hours to double up in size.
- Step 10 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/392 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step 11 Now, generously spread olive oil on the dough. The more, the better 🙂
- Step 12 Now comes the fun part. Dock with your fingers and then place the veggies on the focaccia.
- Step 13 Sprinkle the herbs.
- Step 14 Bake your bread at 200 degrees Celsius/392 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Every oven is different, so check after 20 minutes.
- Step 15 You will know it is done when it is golden brown on top.
- Step 16 Have it as is, or make a beautiful sandwich out of it.
With its crisp crust, soft crumb, and vibrant toppings, veggie focaccia is a feast for the eyes and the palate. This recipe is simple yet satisfying, perfect for beginners exploring the world of garden focaccia bread.
Now that you know how to make the perfect focaccia, why not explore more recipes, such as garlic focaccia, pepperoni focaccia, or no-knead air-fried bread?
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I hope you found my post “7 Steps to the Best Veggie Focaccia (+ FAQs!)” helpful. If you have any queries, feel free to post them in the comments below.
Thank You.
