Beetroot Focaccia is an easy-to-come-together focaccia as I made it using leftover pizza dough. You can knead the puree of beetroot into the dough or spinach puree for a healthy kick!
Some more focaccia choices like stuffed Focaccia or whole wheat focaccia.
Since then I have made successful whole wheat bread, pizza from scratch, pull-apart rolls & Loaf.
When the craving to eat homemade focaccia hit me, I didn’t shy away. I was confident of pulling it off.
As I was browsing for some focaccia recipes, I got the latest post from Baker’s Royale with a beautiful-looking Beet Crust Pizza. I was sold. Deal.
I combined the goodness of beet crust with the craving for focaccia. :)
I made the beet pizza dough as per the recipe and rested it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning putting it together was a quick thing. It also re-heats well. V had it for dinner, the side effect of blogging. I need to cook early morning to use natural light. I balance it out by not making things for my blog all the time, I cook/ bake special dishes for the family alone with as much effort. :) That’s my way of keeping blogging away from encroaching too much on my personal life. What’s yours?
Beetroot Focaccia
Ingredients
for the dough
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 2¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ cup puréed beet peel & chop 1 beet
for the focaccia topping
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced into half
- ¼ cup olives
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp seasoning dried herbs, chili flakes, dried oregano
- to taste salt & black pepper
Instructions
for the dough
- Pressure cook beet with little water. Allow it to cool & purée along with water.
- In a large bowl, mix water, honey & yeast. Allow it to stand for 10 mins till it becomes frothy.
- Add flour & remaining ingredients. And combine using a wooden spoon till it just comes together.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it for about 5 minutes till it is smooth & elastic. If it is sticky, try using a bit of olive oil on your hands before continuing with kneading.
- Form the dough into a ball. Place in a well oiled bowl, gently turn it around once to coat with oil. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel or cling film. Allow it to rise for 1½–2 hours.
- Once risen just shape the dough into a ball and oil it. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate. You can skip this step and go ahead to make the focaccia directly if you want.
for the Focaccia Topping:
- Mix the seasoning and olive oil in a small bowl.
- When you are ready to bake, remove the refrigerated dough, and place it on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Now using your hands gently pull it in the desired shape.
- Brush it liberally with 2 Tbsp of prepared seasoning. Press dimples halfway down into the dough using your finger tips. Cover it loosely with cling film. Allow it to rest in a warm place for the second rise for about 1 hour.
- 15 minutes before the second rise ends, pre-heat the oven to 225 °C. Bake the focaccia for 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and arrange the sliced tomatoes & olives on the dough. Brush the remaining seasoned oil on top. Bake again for 15-20 minutes till it is golden brown.
- Cut into square and serve warm.
Notes
- Beet purée can be prepared ahead of time.
- Dough can also be made and refrigerated after first rise. It stays good in refrigerator for 3 days.
- You can roll the focaccia thinner too. I used my hands to stretch and wanted a bit thick slice.
