Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe from Slow Food, Fast Cars

"There is nothing like waking up to the smell of fresh focaccia wafting through the early morning air. This focaccia recipe has been a staple at Casa Maria Luigia since our very first breakfast service. Rain or shine, summer or winter every morning guests step out into the quiet Emilian countryside to smell the bread baking in the oven."

- Slow Food, Fast Cars

John got more than he could've hoped for when he signed up to make focaccia with me! This easy focaccia bread recipe is so satisfying, we laugh at the idea of it being called work. Grab a free illustrated recipe & get your motor running!

Learn more about cooking with kids!

Jump to:

• Slow Food, Fast Cars
• European &American Vehicles
• Sunday Gravy with Meatballs & Braciole
• Food from Around the World: Free Cooking Lessons
• Top Tip
• How to Make Focaccia
• Giadzy
• Focaccia
• Easy Focaccia Bread

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.

Slow Food, Fast Cars

This satisfying and simple focaccia recipe is from Slow Food, Fast Cars by Massimo Bottura, chef and restaurateur, Lara Gilmore, the creative curator at Casa Maria Luigia, and Jessica Rosval, the head chef.

Emilia is known as the breakbasket of Italy; Modena, the motor valley. If you grow up around here you can't help but be in love with cars. I have lived and breathed legendary cars since I was a kid.

- Massimo Bottura

The criteria for selecting, buying, and introducing a car into the family conform only to Massimo's rules. He searches for car models that resonate with him emotionally. There are a few rules though.

First, nothing prior to 1962. That is the date Massimo was born. Second, only automobiles that complete his personal history: the car his father wanted to buy, the one his brother owned, the one he wanted to drive at eighteen, the car in a movie he loved, or watched win in a rally.

It's as if the machines become vehicles for his timeline, ways to hold the story in place and a 3D actual physical presence, not just visual but something you can touch, hear, smell, and move through space. The car becomes a re-enactment of that memory, that dream, that moment he wants to hold onto and share with others.

And finally, Italia! Emilia! Modena! All the cars must be rigorously Italian and preferably made in this corner of Italy, just like him. In fact, all the local houses are represented: Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and De Tomaso. They are all part of Massimo's story.

- Lara Gilmore

Free European & American Vehicles Language & Sorting Activity

Grab your free vehicle sorting activity above. Kids can sort the cards into rows or columns using the heading cards: European and American. The colors of the cards provide a control of error so that kids can self-correct when completing this work independently.

These sorting cards also make excellent three-part cards for introducing vocabulary related to vehicles. To use these as 3-part cards, simply print two copies of the printable and then cut the labels off the cards on one of the copies. Children can match the picture and then match the label as they show readiness.

They can also be used to practice object-to-picture matching if you have a collection of cars to play with.

How to Make Focaccia

Ingredients

• flour - you'll want cold all-purpose flour and cold pastry flour for the best focaccia. We like Jovial's Einkorn Flour and Anson Mills Fine Cloth-Bolted Pastry Flour
• oil - Grab your favorite olive oil for this delicious and easy Italian focaccia bread recipe. You can also use vegetable oil on the container that holds your dough
• yeast - Brewer's yeast or active dry yeast will work for this bread
• water
• salt
• herbs - bake this bread topped with your favorite herbs, such as rosemary or thyme

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cup 
• Kitchen Scale
• Spatula
• Measuring Spoons
• Silicone Baking Mat
• Stand Mixer with dough hook
• Pie Dish or Pizza Pan
• Bread Knife
• Learning Tower as needed

Combine the Flours

Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the all-purpose flour and pastry flour. Transfer them to a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Add the Oil and Yeast

Use a measuring spoon to add ½ tablespoon of oil and the yeast to the mixer.

Pour in the Water

Add 2 ½ tablespoons of the ice-cold water to the mixing bowl. Let it absorb and keep adding 2 ½ tablespoons until it is all used.

Mix Until the Dough Unsticks

Mix the focaccia ingredients until the dough unsticks from the bowl. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Use a measuring spoon to add the salt to the mixing bowl. When the salt is absorbed, turn off the mixer.

Remove the dough from the mixer and let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. The dough should dry out slightly during this time.

Stretch & Fold the Dough

Transfer the Dough & Refrigerate

Lightly oil a bowl for the focaccia dough. Transfer the dough to the container and cover. Place it in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

Repeat the Stretch & Fold 2 More Times

Remove the dough from the fridge and repeat the stretch and fold process 2 times. Transfer the dough back to the bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 12 hours.

Transfer the Dough to the Pie Dish

Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to the pie dish or a greased pizza pan. Drizzle the remaining oil on top of the focaccia dough and press your fingers into it until the dough is pushed out to the edges of the pie dish.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm spot in your kitchen. Let it rise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Top the Focaccia

Preheat the oven to 465 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the plastic wrap from the dish. Drizzle the dough with olive oil. Sprinkle coarse salt and herbs or vegetables on top of the focaccia dough.

Bake the Focaccia

Place the pie dish in the oven. Bake until the focaccia is golden brown on top, about 20 minutes or so.

Turn off the oven when finished. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Use a bread knife to cut the focaccia into wedges and enjoy!

Now if you'll excuse us, we've got more 'work' to do - cue the devilish grin.