Kalamata Olive & Mozzarella Focaccia
This focaccia fills up the kitchen with the smell of fresh dough and warmed olive oil. With a crispy crust and soft crumb with pockets of flavor, this Kalamata Olive & Mozzarella focaccia is a dream come true. Yields 2-9″ round focaccia
Servings Prep Time
29″ round focaccia 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15-18minutes 80-120minutes
Servings Prep Time
29″ round focaccia 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15-18minutes 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 2-9″ cake pans. The oil should fully cover the bottom of the pan, but 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 light pool at the bottom of the pan. 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. Make sure an oven rack is placed in the center and preheat the oven to 450°F. Gently remove the plastic wrap from the dough, pulling slowly so that the dough falls away from the greased covering. Sprinkle each focaccia with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Tear pieces of fresh mozzarella and gently press into the surface of the dough. The dough will be incredibly soft and full of air bubbles so not much force is needed. Gently press in the kalamata olives. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top of the focaccia.
  9. Place both pans on the center-fitted rack and bake for 15-18 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.
Recipe Notes

If saving one focaccia or sliced focaccia, allow to cool completely then gently wrap in foil.  Warm in the oven or a toaster oven the next day to allow the crust to crisp again.

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