August 25, 2024August 25, 2024 AdminAdmin 0 Comment

Olive, Herb & Sticky Balsamic Focaccia

This olive, herb and balsamic focaccia is sticky, sweet, airy and fluffy on the inside and crunchy and golden on the outside. It’s a bread lovers dream!

Olive, herb and balsamic focaccia

Olive, Herb & Sticky Balsamic Focaccia

This recipe is dedicated to all my olive and bread lovers! If you love olives and bread just as much I do then you are going to absolutely love this recipe. It combines the best of both worlds with an olive, herb and balsamic dipping sauce that is drizzled over a light and fluffy focaccia. This focaccia not skimp on the olives! When I saw the viral bread dipping sauce I thought, why not go directly to the source and create a bread recipe that incorporates it! It’s sweet, sticky, slightly spicy. full of fresh and dried herbs and has a slight crunch from the diced shallot. While I recommend you drizzle 4 tablespoons over the focaccia dough, no one is judging you if you decided to drizzle more!

Bread Dipping Sauce

Bread dipping sauce seemed very on brand for me. It’s made with lots of olive oil, lots of olives and an abundance of herbs. I have used a sticky balsamic to add just a touch of sweetness. This is then drizzled over the focaccia dough and baked in the oven for up to 30 minutes. A good focaccia needs lots of olive oil to give it that golden and crunchy crust making this bread dipping sauce the perfect focaccia topping. While you can drizzle as much as you please onto your focaccia, I like to leave a little leftover to dip the focaccia into.

olive, herb and balsamic dipping sauce

My top tips for making the best focaccia

Leave the dough to rest and rise as long as you can – if you have the time, I recommend leaving it for 24 – 48 hours (maximum 72 hours) as this will result in a fluffier and lighter dough. If you are short on time try and leave it for a minimum of 8 hours.

Use a high quality olive oil and don’t be shy with it – this is a recipe that relies heavily on olive oil not just for the taste but also for the texture and that golden and crunchy crust. It’s important we are not skimping on the quality which is why I recommend using Rich Glen olive oil.

olive, herb and balsamic focaccia

Find a warm spot in your house for the second rise – this will help the dough rise for its second rise when it’s been transferred to the baking tray. If you are making your focaccia in winter, a little trick I learnt is to leave the light on in your oven and let the focaccia dough rise in there. Some other warm spots in your house may be where your heater is or above your fridge or washing machine.

Don’t be afraid to get creative – focaccia’s can be so versatile and you can top it with whatever you please.  Don’t be afraid to get creative and personalise it to your personal taste.

olive, herb and balsamic focaccia

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave my dough to rise for a shorter period of time?

There are recipes that allow the dough to rise in a short amount of time however, this recipe will not work unless you leave your dough to rise for a minimum of 8 hours. I always recommend leaving it for as long as possible to get the best result.

What size baking tin do you use?

The baking tin I use is 34cm x 23cm x 5cm. It’s important your baking dish is large and deep enough for the focaccia to rise in. 

Olive, herb and balsamic focaccia

Can I use an active yeast?

Absolutely! The yeast I use is a non active dry yeast which is why we need to activate and feed it with the honey. If you are using an active yeast you can skip this first step and simply add the yeast to your flour with your water and salt.

How long does the focaccia keep for?

Bread is always at its most delicious on the day it’s made. I recommend freezing the bread on the day it has been made to maintain its freshness for as long as possible. If not, you can use it for up to 3 days before it goes stale. But keep in mind, stale focaccia can be turned into the best breadcrumbs!

olive, herb and balsamic focaccia

Ingredients

Olive, herb & balsamic topping

  • 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 tbsp sticky balsamic
  • 1/2 shallot finely diced
  • 1/2 tbsp rosemary finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp oregano dried
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 2 cups olives roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp flakey sea salt

Foccccia

  • 2.5 cups lukewarm water 2 cups cold water + 1/2 cup boiling hot water (600ml)
  • 1 sachet dry yeast 7g
  • 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
  • 5 cups all purpose white flour 740g
  • 2.5 tsp flakey sea salt
  • 4 tbsp Olive, herb & balsamic topping

Instructions

Olive, herb & balsamic topping

  • In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Leave to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Focaccia

  • In a medium bowl, mix together the lukewarm water, yeast and honey with a whisk and leave to sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast has foamed. This will indicate that your yeast is active.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and whisk together. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and bring the dough together with your hands or a spatula until a shaggy and sticky dough forms.
  • Coat a large mixing bowl with 4 tablespoons of the garlic confit olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Coat the dough in the olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place into the fridge. Leave the dough to rise for a minimum of 6 hours but ideally for 24 hours. The dough will double in size and look bubbly.
  • Take the dough out of the fridge and fold it over itself in quarters. Gather up each edge of the dough with your hands and fold it over itself while turning the bowl. The dough will deflate while you shape it into a neat ball.
  • Coat a deep rectangular baking dish (I use a pan that is 34cm x 23cm x 5cm) with 2 tablespoons of the garlic confit olive oil and transfer the dough ball to the baking dish. Using your fingers, stretch the dough out slightly into a rough rectangular shape. There is no need to stretch the dough out to the edges of the pan as the dough will rise and spread. Cover the pan with a tea towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm area of your house for 3 – 4 hours. If your dough is uncovered there is risk of too much air getting into the dough and creating a dry and crusty layer on top.
  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Once the dough has risen, use your fingers to indent or dimple the dough. Drizzle the olive, herb and balsamic dressing all over the focaccia. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the dough has developed a golden crust on top.
  • Let the bread slightly cool before removing it from the baking tray. Place onto a wire rack.
  • Slice the bread and enjoy on its own or dipped into the remaining dipping sauce.

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