Grilled Focaccia

Focaccia Bread. Lazy, delicious, and impressive. Be prepared for people to ask you to make this for your next gathering. Furthermore, with a little creative use of your resources, it's pretty fast to make.


Similar to the pizza, it is entirely possible to make your own dough for Focaccia, but I usually feel lazy and just don't want to spend hours making dough, kneading, rising, etc... So like with the pizza, I often buy my dough at Trader Joe's. $1.50 gets wheat, white, or herbed white bread (white and herbed white are my favorites) and saves you several hours. Absolutely worth it, if you ask me.

Bring your dough home and roll it out to about half an inch thick. I put mine on an 11x17 pan covered with a silpat to prevent sticking. If you don't have a silpat, parchment paper with a bit of extra virgin olive oil would do the trick. Cover it and let it rise for 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Once the rising is done, dimple the dough with your fingertips and wait 5 minutes before beginning topping the bread.

The real trick to focaccia bread, if you ask me, is oil application. It's a very oily bread, and this oil will also help crisp up the outside. I use somewhere around 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil to top the bread, making sure I cover the whole surface.

Toppings are where you really get to have fun. I suggest four varieties of toppings: Herbs and spices, cheese, salt, and meat. Each adds a wonderful flavor to the finished product. I mix and match, and usually, I use three or more cheeses! Below I have some suggestions.

• Herbs/Spices
• Rosemary (my favorite)
• Oregano
• Basil
• Italian herb mix
• Cheese
• Asiago
• Romano
• Parmesan
• Gouda
• Salt
• Kosher Salt
• Coarse Sea Salt
• Fleur de sel
• Meat
• Bacon
• Sausage

Keep it light - Too much stuff and your focaccia magically turns into pizza with a very thick crust. Since we're going to be grilling this, lightly push down on your toppings to make sure they stick to the bread. 

Put the focaccia in the middle rack of your oven for about ten minutes. It should look done, but it should not be significantly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

I prefer the flavor of a charcoal grill, but gas will work as well. Over a medium flame, toss the bread on the grill. I usually use two large spatulas to make sure it does not break in half. Check and flip as the bread turns golden brown. Remove from the grill to a plate or cutting board and serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Now I want focaccia bread...