How to make Italian focaccia at home: an easy recipe with ingredients available in Playa del Carmen
If there is one thing that can change the mood at a table, it is focaccia fresh from the oven. At La Caffetteria de Pasta e Polpetta, in Playa del Carmen since 2013, we love simple recipes made with good ingredients and patience.
Today we are sharing a homemade Italian focaccia recipe that you can prepare at home with ingredients that are easy to find in Playa del Carmen.
This homemade Italian focaccia recipe is perfect for anyone who wants to bake Italian bread at home without making things too complicated. If you are in Playa del Carmen, you can find good flour and yeast at places such as DAC, large supermarkets or specialty shops (Sigma on 38th Street, Walmart and Aki).
And if making it leaves you with more hunger than patience, come see us at La Caffetteria in Playa del Carmen for coffee, freshly baked bread and something Italian to save the day.
Now, on to the recipe:
Artisan Italian focaccia
In a large bowl, mix 1 kg of type 00 flour, 700 g of cold water and 10 g of fresh yeast. Use cold water to keep the dough from heating up too much while you knead it. If you can, wear gloves so that you do not transfer heat from your hands.
Knead until the flour has absorbed all the water. When the dough begins to come together, add 30 g of extra-virgin olive oil and 20 g of salt. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic and fully combined.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape each one into a ball. Place them in steel or plastic containers, avoiding aluminum or iron. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
After the first rest, take each ball of dough and make a few folds to give it more strength. Cover again and leave to rest for another 30 minutes, or until the dough doubles in volume.
Meanwhile, prepare two baking trays measuring approximately 30 × 45 cm. Grease them generously with extra-virgin olive oil, spreading it well over the entire surface.
Once the dough has risen, place it in the trays and begin stretching it gently, first from the edges and then toward the center. Press with your fingertips to make the focaccia’s classic dimples. You do not need to cover the entire tray immediately: cover the dough and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
Prepare a mixture of half drinking water and half extra-virgin olive oil, using about 200 ml in total. Add salt to taste and mix well.
After the dough has rested in the tray, pour a generous amount of this mixture over the focaccia. Stretch the dough again with your fingertips until it covers the whole surface. The water, oil and salt mixture will help keep the focaccia soft inside and flavorful after baking.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until the surface is golden. Check the underside as well: it should be cooked and lightly browned.
Take the focaccia out of the oven and enjoy it hot or cold. Crisp outside, soft inside, and with the kind of aroma that makes everyone appear in the kitchen “by chance.”
Save this recipe and keep it close at hand
If you would like to keep this recipe, you can also download the complete recipe card as a PDF directly to your phone or print it for your kitchen.
That way, whenever you feel like making homemade Italian focaccia, you will not have to search for the recipe again: just open it, follow it step by step and you are done.
Because a good focaccia is meant to be shared, but a good recipe is also worth saving.
A.C.
