Focaccia | Definition, Recipe, Bread, & Pizza (2024)

FAQs

Are pizza dough and focaccia dough the same? ›

Pizza vs Focaccia

The primary difference is how much yeast is added to the dough and therefore how much the dough is able to rise. Focaccias use more yeast, which gives it a lighter, fluffier texture than a traditional pizza dough and is more closely resembles leavened bread.

Flour: All-purpose flour or bread flour is perfect for making focaccia bread. I use all-purpose most of the time since that's what I stock in my kitchen.

How Is Focaccia Different From Other Bread? Focaccia is ½" to 1" thick with a light crust on the top and bottom. It's often described as "flatbread" or "Italian flat bread," but unlike the flat bread we're used to, it isn't flat at all, but thick and fluffy.

The name focaccia derives from the Roman “panis focacius,” meaning “hearth bread”, referring to the fact that focaccia was traditionally baked in coals in Roman times.

Bread dough and pizza dough aren't the same. However, you can use them interchangeably with a few tweaks in the recipes. Bith pizza dough and bread, though, can give similar results with a bit of trying.

In Burgundy, focaccia is called foisse or fouaisse, in other areas of France it is known as fougasse. In Argentina, it is widely consumed under the name fugazza. The Spanish call it hogaza. Today we enjoy this versatile bread alone as a snack or light meal or on the side complimenting a full bodied Italian meal.

Not allowing the focaccia to proof long enough in the fridge will prevent enough gluten from being formed. This causes flat and dense focaccia once baked. If you are short on time, preform some stretch and folds as this mimics the kneading process, helping to develop the gluten structure.

Transfer to the pan - The dough is transferred to an oiled pan and spread out slightly, and placed in a warm place. Rise focaccia in the pan - The dough rises a second time, uncovered, until doubled in size, puffy, and jiggly. This rising time depends on whether you started with room temperature or cold dough.

Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.

Like croissants and brioche buns, focaccia is high in calories and fat. Most people aren't aware of it, but it contains a lot of olive oil, which in excess has the same effect. To lose weight, people should choose whole-grain or rye bread, which has more fibre and is lower in fat and calories.

How do I tell when my focaccia is done? ›

Put the pan in the oven and bake for 20–30 minutes, until the top is a lovely golden and the internal temperature is 190-210°F (88–99°C). When your timer sounds, verify the internal temperature with your Thermapen ONE. Continue to cook if the temp is not high enough.

Venetian focaccia is sweet, baked for Easter and resembles the traditional Christmas cake panettone. Sugar and butter are used instead of olive oil and salt. Focaccia barese, which is common in Puglia in southern Italy, is made with durum wheat flour and topped with salt, rosemary, tomatoes or olives.

So why does it tend to be more expensive to purchase? Friends who have worked in the restaurant industry had some thoughts: Focaccia requires a lot of olive oil, which is pricey (though some other breads call for butter and eggs, which pencil out to more in my own Kirkland-brand-olive-oil kitchen).

In some places, such as Rome, it is similar to a style of pizza called pizza bianca ( lit. 'white pizza'). Focaccia may be served as a side dish or as sandwich bread and it may be round, rectangular, or square shape.

Focaccia bread is a popular Italian flatbread that makes an ideal base for pizza. Thick, hearty focaccia stands up well to heavy toppings and has lots of holes and dimples to trap melted cheese and sauce. Focaccia dough is made from bread flour, olive oil, salt, yeast, and warm water.

Ingredients are the same but in general focaccia dough is less hydrated, it has to rest less then a pizza, because you want it more firm and crisp, and it should be cooked at way less temperature. Less hydrated? I thought focaccia was +80% hydration and up.

The main difference is that pizza dough is often made with a higher protein flour (bread flour is perfect). Bread dough can also be made with bread flour (of course) but some types of bread dough are better made with a lower protein flour like all purpose flour.

Like focaccia, pizza al taglio is rectangular and works with a wide variety of toppings. Unlike focaccia bread, Roman-style pizza does not proof in the tray it is baked in, making for a crispy, airy crust, as opposed to a spongy, tall one.

Focaccia is a pan-shaped, risen bread that often has a sprinkling of herbs and cheese baked into it. Pizza is toppings on some sort of unleaven crust. Pizza without toppings is something between pie crust and pita bread. Focaccia is its own type of bread, basically.