Garden Focaccia Bread

Freshly baked focaccia is always a crowd-pleaser, but this Focaccia Garden Bread transforms a simple loaf into a stunning work of art. Soft, airy dough is stretched, folded, and generously drizzled with olive oil before decorated with vibrant vegetables and fragrant herbs to create a colorful garden scene that's almost too pretty to slice. Every loaf is completely unique, making it a fun recipe to get creative with using whatever fresh produce you have on hand. This homemade focaccia is guaranteed to impress both visually and with every delicious bite. 

Ingredients

• 500g (4 cups) bread flour (or all-purpose) 
• 7g (2 ¼ tsp) instant yeast (1 packet) 
• 10g (2 tsp) fine salt 
• 375ml (1 ½ cups) warm water 
• 6 tbsp good olive oil, divided 
• For toppings: cherry tomatoes, olives, rosemary, sliced peppers, chives, thin lemon rounds — whatever you like! 

Instructions

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, water, and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large bowl. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest 15 minutes. 
2. Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds, 15 minutes apart: wet your hand, grab the edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over. Rotate and repeat 4 times per set. 
3. After the final fold, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil into a 9x13” baking pan. Place the dough in the pan and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. 
4. Let it rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 1-2 hours at room temperature. 
5. Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over the dough. Using all your fingers, dimple the dough enthusiastically all over the surface. 
6. Now the fun part: arrange your vegetables and herbs into a garden scene. Tomatoes for flowers, rosemary for stems, chive blades for grass. No rules! 
7. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake 22-28 minutes until deeply golden on the bottom and edges. Check the bottom by lifting with a spatula. 
8. Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. Best the day it’s baked.