PUGLIAN FOCCACIA

Table Memories Recipe

Recipe Story

Soft, golden, and irresistibly fragrant, this Puglian Focaccia captures the simple magic of Italian baking. Enriched with silky olive oil and a depth from potato worked into the dough, it bakes into a beautifully tender crumb with a crisp, sun-kissed crust. The topping brings all the charm of Puglia — sweet burst-in-your-mouth tomatoes, fresh rosemary, bright lemon zest, and a generous sprinkle of flaky salt. Finished with another drizzle of olive oil, it’s the kind of bread that needs nothing more than good company, a shared table, and the joy of tearing off warm pieces straight from the tray.

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 500g Tipo “00” flour

  • 1 sachet dry instant yeast

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 10g salt

  • 4 tbsp olive oil

  • 150g potato, boiled and riced

  • Tepid water (approx. 200ml, more if needed)

Topping:

  • 1 punnet rosemary, chopped

  • Lemon zest

  • Baby tomatoes

  • Maldon salt

  • Olive oil

Instructions

Boil potato and then push through a ricer.  Weigh 150g and allow to cool.

On a board place the flour and make a well.  Sprinkle over the sugar.

Place the potato in the well and top with olive oil.

Mix the yeast into 200ml tepid water.

Add the water to the well slowly while mixing everything together.

Once mixed you should have a fairly wet dough.  Mix and knead for about 10 minutes adding the salt too.  You may need to add more water or flour to get the right consistency.

Once the dough is ready place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth.

Let it rise in a warm place until double in size.

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Very liberally grease an oven pan with olive oil and stretch the dough in the pan.

  Top the focaccia with your choice of topping and sprinkle over some coarse sealt.

Sprinkle liberally with olive oil and bake for 30/40 mins until brown and it sounds hollow when knocking.