Italian Focaccia with Oregano
I love focaccia! This ultra-soft bread with Mediterranean flavors that when it comes out of the oven reminds you of your summer holidays…Mmmm…. I could eat it every day! Do you feel hungry now? Here is a delicious recipe of Italian Focaccia with Oregano.
What is focaccia?
Focaccia is a bread of Italian origin made from wheat flour and olive oil. It has a relatively flat shape and is often dotted or garnished with aromatic herbs.
Focaccia can be eaten as a side to Mediterranean dishes, as a snack or even as a base for a sandwich. Here is an examle of Sandwich made with focaccia. The recipe will follow soon!
The recipe for focaccia
There are many focaccia recipes. The recipe I chose is very tasty and fluffy as I chose to put olive oil directly in the preparation of the dough. For a lighter version, it is possible to replace the oil with water only and you will get a focaccia closer to the bread.
For this recipe of Italian Focaccia with Oregano, you need the following ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 500g flour (type 00)
- 7g yeast, dry or 14g if fresh
- 10g sugar (e.g. brown)
- 50ml olive oil
- 300 ml lukewarm water (25-35 °C)
- 8g salt
- 10 ml olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Preparing the focaccia dough
Step 1: The yeast
Start by placing the yeast, 10 cl of water deducted from the total amount of water and sugar in a glass. Leave to rest for 15 to 30 minutes. It should foam.
Step 2: The dough
Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Then add the olive oil. Mix it all.
Then add 200 ml of water and mix again. Then add the water step by step.
Depending on the type of flour and oil you use and the moisture in the air, the amount of water indicated may be too high or insufficient. Always be careful not to pour too much at once and pay attention to the texture of the dough. This one should be slightly humid but not too sticky.
Step 3: Kneading
Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is soft. Then place the dough in a bowl with a little olive oil in the bottom. Let it rest for 1,5 to 2 hours.
Preparing the oregano garnish
Step 4: Shape the focaccia
Once the dough is rested, it must have doubled in volume. Remove the air from the dough by pressing the dough with your hands.
Pour a little oil into a baking dish (25 cm x 35 cm). Place the focaccia dough in the dish, making sure the dough is evenly distributed throughout the dish. Let the dough rest for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 5: Oregano garnish
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan oven). Mix 10 ml of olive oil and dried oregano and pour the mixture over the focaccia. Then make holes with your fingers in the focaccia. Let it rest for another 20 minutes.
Step 6: Backing
Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C. Before serving, sprinkle with fleur de sel.
How to vary this recipe from Italian Focaccia to Oregano?
With this basic recipe of focaccia, you can vary the flavors. Here are some ideas:
- Replace oregano with: herbs de Provence, thyme, rosemary
- Add cherry tomatoes over dough before baking
- For a lighter version, reduce the amount of olive oil (10 ml) and increase the amount of water (320 ml)
If you liked this recipe, then you will certainly also be interested in these other Mediterranean recipes!
Please leave me a comment if you liked this recipe or if you have any questions.
Italian Focaccia with Oregano
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Ingredients
- 500 g flour type 00
- 7 g yeast dry or 14g if fresh
- 10 g sugar e.g. brown
- 50 ml olive oil
- 300 ml lukewarm water 25-35 °C
- 8 g salt
- 10 ml olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Start by placing the yeast, 10 cl of water deducted from the total amount of water and sugar in a glass. Leave to rest for 15 to 30 minutes. It should foam.
- Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Then add the olive oil. Mix it all.
- Then add 200 ml of water and mix again. Then add the water step by step.
- Depending on the type of flour and oil you use and the moisture in the air, the amount of water indicated may be too high or insufficient. Always be careful not to pour too much at once and pay attention to the texture of the dough. This one should be slightly humid but not too sticky.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is soft. Then place the dough in a bowl with a little olive oil in the bottom. Let it rest for 1,5 to 2 hours.
- Preparing the oregano garnish
- Once the dough is rested, it must have doubled in volume. Remove the air from the dough by pressing the dough with your hands.
- Pour a little oil into a baking dish (25 cm x 35 cm). Place the focaccia dough in the dish, making sure the dough is evenly distributed throughout the dish. Let the dough rest for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan oven). Mix 10 ml of olive oil and dried oregano and pour the mixture over the focaccia. Then make holes with your fingers in the focaccia. Let it rest for another 20 minutes.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C. Before serving, sprinkle with fleur de sel.
