Description
This festive Christmas Focaccia Decorative Loaf is a delightful artisanal bread featuring a soft, fluffy texture and a golden crust adorned with colorful, seasonal decorations like rosemary sprigs, cherry tomatoes, olives, and red bell pepper cutouts. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this visually stunning and flavorful focaccia makes a beautiful centerpiece on any festive table.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 500 g strong flour
- 10 g salt
- 7 g dried yeast
- 300 ml warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
Decorations
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Black olives
- Green olives
- Red bell pepper, cut into star shapes
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the strong flour and salt, mixing thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of salt throughout the flour.
- Activate Yeast: In a small bowl, stir the dried yeast into the warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes until frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Form Dough: Pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the flour well. Use a wooden spoon to mix until a shaggy dough begins to form.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic, which develops the gluten.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and leave in a warm place for approximately 1 hour until it doubles in size.
- Prepare Oven and Tray: Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Shape Dough: After the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to deflate. Shape into a rectangle or circle and place it on the lined baking tray.
- Create Dimples: Use your fingertips to press and create dimples evenly across the surface of the dough, a classic focaccia characteristic.
- Add Olive Oil and Salt: Drizzle olive oil generously over the dough and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to enhance flavor and texture.
- Decorate: Arrange rosemary sprigs, halved cherry tomatoes, black and green olives, and red bell pepper star shapes onto the dough surface, forming a festive decorative pattern.
- Second Rise: Let the decorated loaf rise for another 20 to 30 minutes to achieve a light, airy crumb.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the focaccia turns golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Ensure the water used to activate the yeast is warm, not hot, to prevent killing the yeast.
- You can customize the toppings based on preference or seasonal availability.
- Allowing the dough to rise adequately both times is key for a light, airy focaccia.
- This focaccia is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- For extra flavor, you can sprinkle herbs like thyme or oregano before baking.
