Bread that is both beautiful and delicious is also easier than you think. This holiday focaccia bread is so simple and customizable to create a stunning piece for your festive table.
Focaccia bread is so incredibly delicious, but I had no idea how easy it was to make as well. There’s a small amount of time spent mixing the ingredients, and then it needs about two hours to rise. Once your dough has risen, it gets heavily coated in olive oil and you get to start the fun stuff.
Dimpling the dough with your fingers is so satisfying, but also is necessary to create the little pockets for your toppings to rest in. Adequately oil your rimmed baking sheet and spread out the dough to reach all the corners. Drizzle some more olive oil on top and lightly press your fingertips all over the bread, creating a surface covered in dimples.
The base of this recipe, the dough itself, can be used in combination with any toppings. Flowers made from vegetables, random patterns of delicious toppings, or just cheese are all popular options.
However, for this holiday concoction, I used caramelized onions, cranberries, brie, and fresh rosemary and sage. When I think about a classic holiday combination, cranberry and rosemary immediately come to mind. And brie, because obviously, cheese makes everything better.
I used fresh cranberries, but they were more tart than I was anticipating. You could very easily substitute craisins to create a sweeter bread.
I scattered the toppings all across the bread, but if you’re feeling extra festive you can easily form a wreath or tree with the toppings.
While baking, I do love a good holiday drink to sip on. I paired this with my festive cranberry mule, and the cranberry/rosemary pairings in both make them very complimentary of each other.
Holiday Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
Focaccia
- 1 1/2 C warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp active yeast one standard .25 oz package
- 4 1/2 C flour can substitute 1:1 GF flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 C olive oil plus extra for the pan
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
Toppings
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 C cranberries or craisins fresh cranberries will be tart, craisins will be sweeter
- 1 block brie, cubed
- fresh rosemary sprigs
- fresh sage
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Before class
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the yeast and warm water together and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Then add the flour, salt, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Mix until the flour is completely combined and the dough springs back slightly if press on it. Add more flour (up to 1/2 C) if needed so that the dough is workable and not completely sticky. Cover with a clean towel and set aside for 1-2 hours.
Making the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 425
- In a small skillet, add your butter and sliced onions and cook on low to medium heat until the onions start to turn a golden brown
- Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, and spread out the dough all the way to the corners. Spread more olive oil on top and using your fingers, dimple the dough so that there are little pockets for the toppings to rest in
- Top the focaccia with the caramelized onions, cubed brie, cranberries, rosemary, and chopped sage
- Bake for 15-20 minutes
