Focaccia Recipe with Roasted Red Peppers - Cookin' Canuck (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour for focaccia bread? ›

Focaccia made with high-protein bread flour produces the best results, but all-purpose flour will work as well.

Because there is a greater edge-to-middle ratio when you bake focaccia in a loaf pan instead of a sheet pan (not to mention the loaf pan has higher sides), you're ensured a lot of crispy, cheesy bites.

Homemade roasted red peppers are sweeter and smokier than store-bought ones, and they're not overly salty or briny either. They're super easy to make, and they keep in the fridge for a week or more—perfect for punching up the flavor in whatever you're cooking.

Why is my focaccia not fluffy or chewy? It could be the type of flour you used. The best flour to use to make focaccia bread is bread flour which gives you fluffy baked bread. Or, it could also be because you did not knead the dough enough for the gluten to form a structure which can result in flat or dense bread.

Bread flour is slightly higher in protein than All-purpose, so gives the focaccia just a little more chew. I love the mix of both, but just AP flour works just fine too! See FAQ for using only AP flour in the recipe if that is what you have. Yeast - I used instant yeast in this recipe.

The longer you allow the dough to rise, the more air and spongey the bread will be. Overnight Dough: Proofing the dough for 9-14 hours overnight in the fridge is my preferred method, because of the slower fermentation. This process yields a better focaccia texture and taste.

As Elizabeth Yetter wrote in her helpful primer "How To Punch Down Bread Dough," the more air pockets "you can remove from the dough, the finer the grain (or crumb) will be." While that's great for sandwich bread or sweet rolls, it's not as desirable for loaves, like focaccia, where you want airiness.

SOME TIPS TO GET PERFECT HOMEMADE FOCACCIA

Let your dough rest. It is worth the overnight wait in the fridge. At a minimum 12 hours, but feel free to leave it in the fridge up to 48 hours with a well oiled piece of plastic covering the whole sheet tray so the dough doesn't dry out.

This recipe, originally from Alexandra Cooks has been our go-to focaccia recipe. A pyrex glass casserole dish is perfect for a thicker bread that can be sliced for making sandwhiches. If not preparing overnight, let the mixed dough rise at room temperature for about 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled.

Transfer the dough to the baking sheet: Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of a baking sheet for thinner focaccia or a 9x13 cake pan for thicker focaccia.

Are roasted red peppers anti inflammatory? ›

Anti-inflammatory properties: Roasted peppers contain antioxidants and other compounds that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. This can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is linked to several chronic diseases.

Whether jarred or homemade, there's no denying that roasted red peppers add a ton of smoky, tangy flavor to dishes. Even better — these peppers are an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin C which helps promote collagen synthesis and protects cells against free radical damage.

Not all roasted red peppers are, in fact, pimentos. Pimentos are sold in those tiny jars and roasted red peppers are most often sold in larger containers. They are also the tiny bit of red that you find in olives.

Grano duro is slightly yellow, more granular, and more commonly used for pasta and some breads in the south of Italy. It's also knows as durum wheat flour. Grano tenero is generally what we think of as white flour, and is more broadly used in bread, pizza, and pastry, and northern pasta doughs.

Farina 1 or 2

Even coarser than the previous types, these soft wheat flours are best used for bread and pizza.

Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, ranging from 12% to 14%. That makes this type of flour ideal for all kinds of bread recipes, including hearty sourdoughs, tender brioche, and lacy English muffins.

All-purpose flour produces tender baked goods (as opposed to chewy ones) and is ideal for cakes, muffins, biscuits, piecrust, etc. Bread flour, on the other hand, is ideal for bread, pizza dough, pretzels, etc. – items where a strong crumb and a chewy texture are coveted.