If you love a good bread starter that is also gorgeous to serve, this recipe is for you! Today we are making Mediterranean focaccia breadsticks with a lovely roasted pepper marmalade.
This focaccia dough is quick and easy to make, and the bread turns out light and fluffy- perfect for snacking. Topped with a beautiful burst of roasted red peppers sweetened with balsamic vinegar and spiced with toasted cumin seeds, this really is the perfect snack food.
For the ultimate Mediterranean party serve with whole roasted cauliflower and a spicy Moroccan fish bake.
If there’s one thing that gets me going it’s a good load of carbs!
I always have my pantry stocked with flour because I truly believe that we could live off bread and butter. Yes, this year we are eating healthier, buying more vegetables, and cutting out the sugar, but bread is here to stay!
We fell in love with focaccia breadsticks after making these crispy focaccia sticks– they always get “wowed” when brought to a party! Todays recipe is a bit quicker- no overnight fermentation- and the dough comes together in just one bowl.
Mediterranean Focaccia Dough Ingredients
Keeping it super simple today with just a few pantry staples…
Instant or active yeast– the yeast gets activated in the warm water so you can use either of these options.
Warm water– always use the same temperature water you would bath a baby in! If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast.
Flour– plain white flour, and sift it first!
Salt– regular table salt.
Olive Oil– for that rich mediterranean flavor we know and love, use the good oil!
Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade
We originally made this as a dip/spread for fresh bread. The red peppers are sweet and get the perfect tang from a drop of balsamic vinegar. Add in the toasted cumin seeds for a pop of Middle Eastern flavor and you have.. the perfect focaccia topping!
Charred Peppers
The peppers only need to char in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They’ll get nice and black and then we place them in a plastic bag to steam, which helps the peel to come right off.
You don’t need to be too vigilant about removing ALL of the charred bits- some blackened skin adds a lot of flavor to the marmalade! Slice the peppers into thin strips and add to a small saucepan with a pinch of sugar to get nice and friendly.
Once the marmalade is finished we shape the focaccia into sticks and spoon over our topping.
Baked Mediterranean Focaccia
The secret to the shortest bake when it comes to focaccia is to get the oven and your pizza stone/steel extremely hot. I preheat the oven for an hour before baking!
We recently bought a Baking Steel for bread and pizza making and it gets so hot and stays hot…. Our focaccia only needs to bake for 10 minutes.
The dough will puff up and turn beautiful and golden.
TIP: If you don’t have a baking steel/stone you can make a makeshift one- flip a baking tray upside down and let that preheat. Carefully add the focaccia once it is nice and hot.
Finishing Touches
For a little extra- extra brush the edges of the focaccia with olive oil and salt as soon as it comes out of the oven. This makes the edges just crispy and so delicious!
Serve whole with a breadknife or precut the rectangles into breadsticks, then lay on a long wooden platter with some extra dips. Try:
Mediterranean Focaccia with Sweet Roasted Peppers
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 1 1/2 tsp instant or active yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
Sweet Roasted Red Peppers
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 tsp demarara sugar
- 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch of salt
Finish
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/2 tsp thyme
Instructions
Focaccia Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook(you can also make this in a bowl with a spatula), add yeast, warm water, and olive oil. Let sit until frothy and bubbly, 5-8 minutes.
- Add flour and salt, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for one hour to 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
Sweet Roasted Peppers
- While the dough is rising, prepare the peppers. Heat the oven to 220C/ 420 F on the grill setting.
- Place the peppers on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and char for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once you see the skin on the top turn black. Use kitchen tongs to move the peppers directly from the oven to a clean plastic bag, and tie off the top. Let the peppers steam and cool off. Once cool, cut the peppers in half and scrape off the burnt black skin with a knife(discard the charred bits).
- Slice the red flesh into thin strips. Add the olive oil to a small saucepan and add in the peppers. Let the liquid from the peppers cook off for about 2 minutes and then add the sugar, vinegar, coriander seeds. Cook until the texture thickens to that of marmalade(around 5-7 minutes). Season with salt. Set aside.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F with baking steel or pizza stone/baking sheet inside.Divide the dough in half and roll out each half to an oval shape about a hand and a half in length.Carefully place the focaccias on the hot baking sheet. Top each with an even amount of red pepper marmalade.Bake till golden, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven.Combine the finishing olive oil, salt, and thyme in a small bowl.Use a pastry brush to brush edges of focacca with finishing oil. Slice and serve warm!
![Vegan Date and Pecan Bars [Chocolate Covered]](https://soulandstreusel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_9212-920x400.jpg)
LHlRiQpovPb
Fantastic website. A lot of useful information here. I am sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks in your effort!
You’ve been very helpful to me. Thank you!
Hey very cool web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds also?I’m happy to find numerous useful info here in the post, we need work out more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
I?ll right away grab your rss feed as I can not find your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.