Crispy Thin Focaccia
Is it my goal to have a million focaccia recipes? Perhaps. But can you blame me? It’s an adaptable bread that’s absolutely delicious. I want to eat ALL the kinds. Fluffy AND thin focaccia. Sweet AND savory focaccia. Give them all to me.
So technically, focaccia has many types/varieties in Italy but here in the US most of us just think of one style. Big and fluffy, big bubbles, usually no toppings. While this isn’t probably the most authentic variety, it is great. This focaccia was developed from my other focaccia recipes, the hydration was slightly lowered but mainly it’s just the dough is manipulated a bit more. That being said, you could make this even thinner than I have. There are varieties of focaccia that are almost cracker thin over in Italy. I stretched this thin enough that it’s much more thin than traditional focaccia but still thick enough to slice in half and use for a sandwich.
Baking Notes + Tips
When making my regular focaccia, I usually add the dough to the pan and don’t touch it much. However, when making this thin focaccia, you want to help encourage the spreading out of the dough by stretching it a little before it’s last proof. Not tons, you aren’t rolling it out like cinnamon roll dough, but just stretching the dough a bit in each direction so that it doesn’t just puff up in the center.
Speaking of pans, metal pans are where it’s at. Glass really should be saved for casseroles and maybe a pie, almost never bread though. I use a 9×13 cake pan for most of my focaccia. I have used both non stick and regular aluminum and both perform the same. I would recommend a lighter colored pan to prevent your bottom from cooking too quickly.
Crispy Thin Focaccia Key Ingredients
- Olive Oil – Olive oil is almost always the star of the show when it comes to focaccia. You use.. a lot. Maybe more than you feel comfortable with but you just have to trust the process. The bread is essentially frying in the oil as it bakes which helps with the crisp exterior. Olive oil does have a light flavor, so it’s really not advised to substitute for another type because it will alter the flavor.
- Bread flour – Bread flour gives bread more structure and chew compared to all purpose. Can you use AP? Sure, but it does change things ever so slightly. If you love good bread, grab a bag of bread flour.
- Flaky salt – Focaccia (this thin focaccia or most focaccia in general) can be topped with herbs or pretty much anything you’d like but a good flaky sea salt pairs perfectly with the olive oil. You can do the bare minimum and still have fantastic flavor.
Ingredients
- 300 g Bread flour 2½ cups
- 10 g Sea salt ½ tbsp
- 6 g Instant yeast 2 tsp
- 7 g Sugar ½ tbsp
- 240 g Water 1 cup, warm ~95-100°F
- 75 g Olive oil 5-6 tbsp, divided
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add your flour, salt, yeast, sugar, water and 1 tbsp (~14g) of olive oil and mix together with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until a dough has come together.300 g Bread flour | 10 g Sea salt | 6 g Instant yeast | 7 g Sugar | 240 g Water | 75 g Olive oil
- Add an additional tbsp (~14g) of olive oil drizzled over the top and smooth over, coating the dough.75 g Olive oil
- Cover your bowl and let sit for 30-45 minutes in a warm spot.
- After 30-45 minutes, perform your first set of stretch and folds. Lightly wet or cover your finger tips in oil, then slip your fingers behind the edge of the dough at the top or 12o'clock position. Pull the dough up towards you and fold it into the center of the bowl/dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Repeat again twice more for 4 folds.
- Cover the bowl again, and let rise for another 30-45 minutes.
- After the time has passed, repeat the series of 4 stretch and folds. Re-cover your bowl and let sit for another 30 minutes.
- When the time is almost done, line a 9×12 pan with parchment, then drizzle 1-2 tbsp (14-28g) of olive oil over the parchment. Set aside.75 g Olive oil
- After 30 minutes, perform one last set of stretch and folds, then place your dough into the center of your pan.
- Stretch the dough out slightly so it's no longer in a ball shape but more rectangular to encourage the dough to fill out the pan. Do not stretch it all the way, just an inch or two in each direction.
- Cover your pan and let the dough rest for it's final proof in a warm spot.
- While your dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 425°F.
- When the dough is ready, it will have reached the edges or mostly reached the edges of the pan. You can encourage it to spread a little more while dimpling the dough while pressing outward as well as down. Drizzle another 1-2 tbsp of olive oil over the dough. Press your fingertips down into the dough all the way all over creating the signature dimples. When finished, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and any other herbs or seasonings of choice.Flaky sea salt | 75 g Olive oil
- Place your focaccia into the oven on the center rack and bake for 16-21 minutes or until the bread is at least a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
