Feta & Za’atar Focaccia
With a crispy, oily crust and an incredibly soft interior, this Feta & Za’atar Focaccia is mostly hands off, simple, and delicious. Topped with a sprinkling of za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend with hints of woodsiness, tang, and nuttiness, and feta cheese, this focaccia is best when eaten warm and fresh. Yields: 2 x 8″ focaccia
Prep Time
15-20minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
18-22minutes 80-120minutes
Prep Time
15-20minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
18-22minutes 80-120minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a medium to large bowl, weigh out the flour. Add the salt to one side of the bowl. Set aside.
  2. Heat the water until warm, but not yet simmering. If you have a candy thermometer, place it in the water and warm until it reaches 110°F. This should only take about 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat. Be careful not to let it get too warm as it will kill the yeast. If you touch it and it feels comfortably warm, it should be ready to remove from the heat and add the yeast to proof.
  3. Remove the water from the heat. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir it in. The yeast will dissolve into the water and will begin to bubble. Allow to sit and proof for 8-10 minutes.
  4. Once the yeast has bubbled, add all of the water and yeast mixture to the bowl with the flour and salt. Add in the oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine to a sticky dough.
  5. Lightly oil your work surface and turn the dough out. Using a bench scraper, spatula, or a lightly greased hand, fold the dough by lifting one side of the dough and folding it into the center. Only give the dough about 5-6 folds. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in it to rise. Cover gently with a greased piece of plastic wrap and a clean tea towel. Allow to rise for 40-60 minutes until doubled in size.
  6. Once the dough has doubled, prepare your pans. Pour a medium-thick layer of olive oil into the bottom of your 2 x 8″ cake pans. The oil should fully cover the bottom of the pan, and you should have enough so that you can gently swirl the oil around the sides of the pans to grease them and still be left with a small pool of oil at the bottom of the pan. It’s going to look like a lot, but it’ll help the focaccia come out of the pan easier and impart more of that olive oil flavor. Set aside.
  7. Dump the dough onto your work surface, it will be incredibly sticky and should be very very light and full of bubbles. Gently use your bench scraper, spatula, or lightly greased hands to fold the dough another 5-6 times. Split the dough in half and place into the prepared cake tins. Gently push the dough to the sides of the pan. You might not be able to get it to the edge of the pan and that is okay, just try to even out the layer of dough the best you can. Gently cover both pans with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and cover both with the clean tea towel. Allow to rise for another 40-60 minutes until the dough has doubled in size and fills up the cake pans.
  8. Fit a rack in the center of the the oven and preheat to 450°F. Gently remove the plastic wrap from the dough, pulling slowly so that the dough falls away from the greased covering. Using lightly oiled fingers, press into the dough to dimple it. Sprinkle with za’atar, feta, and some flaky salt. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.
  9. Place both pans on the center-fitted rack and bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown. If you press down on the top, you should be able to feel when the dough is fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Tip the focaccia from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack. This focaccia is best when eaten still warm from the oven the day of baking.

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