Have you ever tried focaccine? These mini focaccia bread are the perfect alternative to the classic Italian focaccia in case you are looking for picnic ideas or you just want to have a proper Italian aperitif at home. Whatever your reason is, you must try them. Bonus? they are incredibly easy and you can really add any topping you’d like: grilled zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onions, extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, olives, you name it!

In In this case I wanted to make things a little bit more interesting, because let’s be real, how much rosemary focaccia someone can eat? Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, I love it, but doesn’t it get boring sometime? I don’t know, I am pretty moody when it comes to food and I am also not that flexible, so when I get fixated on something, it’s difficult to go back from there. What about you? I am sure it happens to you too sometimes! Anyways, that day I saw an Italian chef making this focaccia bread recipe, and I decided to try it, but the topping wasn’t very appetizing!

Bottom point I just needed a stronger taste. I actually had something in mind, I was looking for that “southern” taste, or what I decided that day was the southern taste I wanted: anchovies, capers and olives. Simple, but with character. Plus my husband loves anchovies, so it was a no-brainer at that point!

Now get your favorite focaccia toppings ready and let’s see how you can make the best mini focaccia bread.

Focaccine Ingredients

Flour: you can use farina Manitoba and Bread Flour, you need a strong flour with high proteins.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: always choose a good quality oil and do not use substitute, the taste of the focaccia will change
Yeast: in this case I used fresh yeast. You can find fresh yeast in the refrigerator and it’s a cube of 25g (we will use only 12g for this mini focaccia bread)
Water: lukewarm water to help the yeast (but not hot water, pay attention to it, otherwise you will kill the yeast)
Sugar
Salt

Focaccine – Italian Mini Focaccia Bread

Recipe by GiadaCourse: BakingCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

minutes

Resting Time

minutes

Cooking

minutes

Makes

10-12

Ingredients

300g farina Manitoba or Bred Flour
40ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
170ml Lukewarm water
12g Fresh yeast
2g Caster sugar
4g Salt

Directions

In the bowl of your stand mixer add water , yeast and sugar. Mix it well until the yeast and the sugar will melt completely.
Add oil and set the stand mixer to a slow speed before adding the flour little by little. Increase to a medium speed and keep kneading until the dough gets wrapped around the mixing hook. This is called “incordatura” and it happens when the dough develops gluten, becoming strong and smooth.
Only at this point add salt and keep kneading for about a minute.
Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface and fold it to give it strength for the leavening process. After that, shape it into a round ball and place it back into the stand mixer bowl, which you’ve greased with oil. Wrapped it well and let the dough rest in a warm room (26°C – 28°C) until id double in size. About 1h 30mins- 2h.
After the focaccia dough has risen, divide it into 10-12 pieces and shape it into round facaccine. Just press the dough with your fingers. Cover the focaccine with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 15 more minutes.
Brush each focaccina with extra virgin olive oil and add your favorite topping.
Bake at 230°C for about 15 minutes