Potato and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

A soft and fluffy focaccia bread recipe with potatoes and rosemary. This Italian-style flatbread is both easy to make and a crowd pleasing snack.

Course Lunch Supper Snack

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Potato Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 40

Servings

Calories 167kcal

Author Marisa

Place the granulated sugar and the warm water in a large bowl.
Stir to dissolve the sugar, completely.
Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let this stand for approximately 10 minutes, or until frothy.
Once the yeast turns frothy, stir in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Stir the reserved mashed potato mixture into the yeast mixture while breaking up the large clumps of mashed potatoes with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Stir in 3 cups of the flour, until you have a slightly sticky dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface.
Dust your hands with flour and start kneading the dough while adding in as much of the remaining flour as necessary in order to prevent sticking or until smooth and elastic.
This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough rise in a draft free area, until it has doubled in size, for about 1 hour.

Grease a 15x10 inch rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the cornmeal.
Punch down the dough and with greased fingers spread the dough out evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. (greasing your fingers will help to spread out the dough with minimum fuss)
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let the dough rise for an additional 60 minutes or until it has risen slightly higher than the edge of your pan.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.
With greased fingers, gently poke the dough while making indentations all over the dough.
With a pastry brush, gently brush half of the rosemary olive oil mixture over the dough.
Place the sliced potatoes over the dough in a slightly over lapping pattern.
Brush the tops of the potatoes with the remaining rosemary oil.

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F.
Bake the potato focaccia in the bottom third rack of your oven for about 40 minutes. This will ensure a crispy and crunchy underside.
When ready the bottom crust and edges will have a golden brown colour and the potato toppings will be nice and tender.
You might also have some crispy edged potatoes depending on how thinly you sliced the potatoes.
While the focaccia is still warm, run a knife around the edges to loosen the flat bread.
Then transfer the focaccia onto a rack to cool slightly. Just a few minutes.
At this point you can either cut the focaccia into squares using kitchen scissors or transfer onto a cutting board and slice with a long serrated knife.
Enjoy while still warm from the oven!