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Focaccia is a classic Italian bread baked till golden and crispy on the outside and with a soft and fluffy interior. If you are looking for the ultimate comfort food, focaccia bread with your favorite toppings should be your go-to choice.
Looking for a quick dinner but do not have time to make pizza dough? Stop at the store and pick up some focaccia bread and a couple of toppings, and you will have the perfect dinner in under ten minutes.
But the good news does not have to stop there. You can top focaccia bread and bring it as an appetizer or search for ideas to bring to a picnic or potluck. Looking for a quick dessert? No worries, I have you covered with several easy dessert toppings.
Read on to find 19 perfect combinations and endless inspiration!
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What is Focaccia?
Focaccia (pronounced fuh-kaa-chuh) is a bread with roots in Italy. Is an Italian flatbread similar to Sicilian pizza dough? This Italian flatbread is versatile; you can make it by altering the toppings in several ways. You can top the dough with veggies, herbs, or other non-traditional ingredients such as olives or raisins.
Focaccia bread is hearty, economical, and versatile. The toppings define if it's perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. The best part is that the sky is the limit when toppings your bread. Whether you want something to dunk into stew or soup or couple with prosciutto and cheese, you can find a focaccia topping that perfectly matches your mood.
The toppings mentioned in this post are a round-up of all the best combinations. From traditional and sweet to savory, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Even though there are no set rules to topping focaccia, adding 2-3 toppings is a perfect balance.
Types of Focaccia in Italy
Several focaccia pieces of bread are available in Italy, each originating from a different region. Want to learn more about the different types?
- Strazzata – This is a traditional Italian focaccia from Basilicata. It is made with a blend of flour, yeast, water, oregano, and black pepper. In the past, this variation was popular for feasts and weddings.
- Focaccia Messinese – A delicious variation of focaccia that came from Messina. The dough is prepared with local ingredients, including yeast, flour, semolina, lukewarm water, salt, olive oil, and sugar. It is differentiated from other varieties because of the toppings. This variation is topped with curly endive, tuma cheese, anchovies, and tomatoes. You probably won't find this focaccia outside of the region.
- Fugàssa - Fugàssa is a sweet focaccia that comes from the Veneto region. It is similar to an Easter cake and is still prepared in some areas on Christian holidays. This variation requires flour, almonds, butter, sugar, eggs, yeast, Venetian flavors, and a small glass of grappa for the dough. Before baking, the topping is made using a pile of sugar grains pressed on the dough.
- Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio - Is a cheese-filled focaccia that comes from Recco, the hub of pizzerias, bakeries, and restaurants.
Traditional Focaccia Toppings
These traditional focaccia toppings are tried and tested, making them loved worldwide.
1. Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Onions
Is there a better combination than sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese with caramelized onions? In this traditional topping, the sun-dried tomatoes offer the bread an intense sweet-tart flavor. The goat cheese gives the flatbread a mild buttery taste that goes perfectly with tomatoes. Finally, caramelized onions enhance the flavor by adding complexity to the mix.
2. Anchovies, Tomato Sauce, and Pecorino
Decorate your flatbread with anchovies, Pecorino Romano, tomato sauce, and cheese for a fancy twist. Generally known as sfincione palermitano in Italy, the toppings taste salty and cheesy and offer tartness from tomatoes.
3. Olive Oil and Herbs
If you have tried focaccia at a restaurant, you might have eaten the bread with this traditional combination. Common toppings include olive oil and herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano, chives, tarragon, or rosemary.
4. Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
Although focaccia doesn't require toppings, many bakeries top it with pitted olives, and cherry tomatoes pushed into the dough. Generally, olives taste bitter and salty, but a combination with cherry tomatoes balances the flavor with a sweet and tangy taste. Garnish this with herbs.
Pizza Focaccia Toppings
Needless to say, pizza toppings and focaccia are perfect marriages. Try out some of the fantastic combinations.
5. Margherita
Loved by most, this classic pizza topping can easily be used as a delicious focaccia topping. To convert into a Margherita pizza, lightly spread tomato or pizza sauce over the top, and throw in chopped basil leaves and baby mozzarella.
6. Pepperoni and Cheese
This classic American pizza lends itself perfectly to focaccia bread. Top the bread with pepperoni and your favorite cheese, and you have a perfect dinner everyone will love!
7. Focaccia with Mortadella and Pistachio Pesto
If you are looking for a pizza-style summer snack, you should use fresh toppings. Put slices of mozzarella on top of the focaccia to prepare focaccia bread with this topping. Bake it, and pesto. You can also add provolone cheese to give your focaccia a creamy base.
8. Peppers and Black Olives
A much loved yet simple topping is peppers and black olives, and it is another ideal choice for a buffet or an outdoor day. This combination pairs well with a glass of Pinot Grigio. The simple flatbread topping idea uses black olives, bell pepper, salt, and olive oil.
9. Feta Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pesto
Featuring pesto, this pizza-style focaccia topping is simple to prepare and is super delicious. Feta cheese gives this topping a crumbly texture and a salty taste. Cherry tomatoes bring tangy flavor to the recipe, while pesto makes the perfect base. It is a classic topping that will leave you asking for more.
10. Cherry Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Olives
Top with
Sweet Focaccia Toppings
Who says you can only top focaccia with savory toppings? Sweet and fruit toppings work great on this flatbread. If you have a sweet tooth, try these combinations:
11. Cinnamon Sugar
You can give focaccia a cinnamon bun flavor with a combination of sugar and cinnamon. Although a cinnamon sugar focaccia can stand independently, you can pair it with icing or caramel sauce reminiscent of our favorite shopping mall treat.
12. Pears and Apples
Suppose you want a tart, tangy, sweet flavor; top focaccia bread with apples and pears. Apples are naturally tart and sweet, while pears can offer savory, sweet, or buttery flavor.
13. Banana, Walnut, and Chocolate Chips
Bananas, walnuts, and
14. Figs
For a naturally sweet flavor and a distinct honey taste, a great way is to top your focaccia with figs. It offers a squishy, juicy texture, whereas the seeds contrast with soft bread. You can opt for dried figs with a sweeter, caramel-like taste to pair with focaccia.
15. Nutella, Because We All Love It
Did you know that hazelnut spread originated in Italy? Make focaccia decadent by layering a thick spread of Nutella on the flatbread. Once you try this, you will realize that Nutella makes this the perfect sweet treat!
Savoury Focaccia Toppings
Are you looking for delicious savory toppings that can be served at dinner parties and used as snacks?
16. Mushrooms
Add cremini, portobello, white button mushrooms, shiitake, maitake, or oyster mushrooms to your focaccia. You can add them as a single topping or mix and match them with other ingredients to make the bread taste incredible. Mushrooms exude umami richness, earthiness, and a great texture to the dish.
Everyone loves bacon because it enhances the flavor of almost all dishes. Offering an incredible texture, bacon has salty and savory flavors that melt into the focaccia. For the perfect finishing touch, you can sprinkle some sea salt. You can also use bacon inside focaccia and make a sandwich. Add grilled chicken, avocado, or chipotle mayo.
17. Potato Focaccia with Blue Cheese and Pears
Loaded with unique flavors and deliciousness, this hearty topping makes a great appetizer to present at dinner parties or buffets. A potato pizza is a common dish in Italy, and you can add delicious blue cheese and pears to enhance the flavor. Check out this recipe, which is very similar.
18. Tomato and Eggplant Focaccia
Brimming with incredible textures and flavors, this recipe for focaccia is covered in tapenade. The juicy tomato topping adds a pop of freshness to the bread. However, the combination of tangy, salty, and buttery flavors from eggplant and olive spread makes it one of the best topping ideas. It doesn't just look beautiful; it tastes excellent as well.
19. Summer Squash Focaccia
If you want vegan toppings on focaccia, this stunning combination is the one for you. Cover the bread in thinly sliced summer squash and zucchini. Both ingredients will become more flavorful in the oven. The squash gives a great texture, making it a spectacular topping. Even though it will not look vibrant, the taste is to die for.
That's it, the perfect list of focaccia toppings! Leave a comment below and let me know how your toppings tasted!
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