I love bread. It’s probably one of my most favorite things to eat! So imagine how much I love freshly baked bread (probably as much as I love my husband). I could probably live off of it. And this focaccia is the bread lovers dream. It’s airy and fluffy, with the perfect amount of crunch in its crust. The jalapenos, sea salt, and fresh thyme add such refreshing spicy taste. And the best part is that it’s so so so so easy to make. Seriously, you don’t even need to knead focaccia bread. So if you’re intimidated by baking bread or just love the feeling of eating warm bread fresh out of the oven, this recipe is for you!
I’ve actually been baking bread since I was 17. But I have never made focaccia until this year (which I think is absolutely insane)! My dad is an amazing chef and bakes amazing bread. And the last few times I have visited home, he made focaccia. He would just throw the flour, water, yeast and salt togther, give it a little mix with his spatula or hands. Then, voila! In the morning I would wake up and eat freshly baked focaccia. I loved the fact that you didn’t have to knead it, and that it only took 10 minutes to prepare.
So I did a few experiments to find the perfect focaccia bread recipe. And after some trial and error, I present to you some pretty amazing focaccia bread!
Details
You’re going to start by mixing your flour, water, yeast, and salt together in a bowl. It will be a pretty wet dough, so I recommend greasing your hands or using a wooden spoon/spatula. Once it’s well incorporated, you’re going to add some olive oil on the top of the dough and cover it. Let it rise in the fridge for 12-72 hours.
Next, you’re going to add olive oil to your baking dish and let it rise for another 1-3 hours. The time for this will vary depending on how warm your house is. I’m in Ireland and my house isn’t that warm, so I would probably be leaving it closer to the 3 hour point. You want it to rise enough to just about fill your baking dish.
I know you are thinking this is a lot of rising time! First in the fridge? Next on the counter? Yes, it’s a lot. But I promise it will be so worth it. Also, it’s barely any hands on time. Less than 15 minutes total!
Anyway, next step. After the dough rises, add some more olive oil to the top and then comes the fun part; the poking of the holes! Poke some holes in the dough down to the pan. The reason you poke holes in the dough is to prevent it from rising too quickly and to get some of the air out. I recommend greasing your hands with olive oil so that the dough doesn’t stick to it.
After that fun part, add some more olive oil and your toppings. I added jalapenos, thyme, and sea salt. But honestly, you don’t have to use my exact toppings. Get creative with it and just use what you already have in your fridge. It will still taste amazing, I promise!
Easy Jalapeno and Thyme Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups bread flour (you can use all purpose if you don’t have bread flour)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 jalapeños sliced
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Sea salt
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together EXCEPT for the olive oil until well incorporated. Once well incorporated, rub a tablespoon of olive oil on top.
- Let it rise in the fridge for 12-72 hours.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil to skillet or baking dish, then add the dough. Cover and let rise for another 1-3 hours (you want it to rise enough so that it fills the skillet or baking dish).
- After the dough rises, add two tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dough. Poke some holes in the dough. Add sliced jalapeños, thyme and salt.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown.
