Quick and fluffy garden focaccia bread recipe with a light airy center and crisp edges topped with your choice of jammy caramelized onion and heirloom tomatoes or thinly sliced potatoes and mushrooms. Easy, vegan Italian comfort food at its finest!

Fluffy Garden Focaccia Recipe

If you love the idea of a thick garden focaccia bread but struggling to get that airy soft and fluffy center from your dough, this fail proof recipe is for you. The secret lies in using a very special but common ingredient when making the dough: mashed potatoes! Once you try this tested homemade method you will never use another recipe again.

This really is the very best Italian quick bread, although I know the Romans didn’t make it exactly this way and that’s ok, this is better! If you are feeling extra creative by all means practice your focaccia art here, let your inner Van Gough or Salvador Dali come through. For me it’s all about checking the flavor box, cloudy texture and letting nature show off with this one.

Ingredient Notes

The Flour – For the fluffiest result make sure to use an organic unbleached all purpose flour. Any whole grain flour combinations would yield into a denser nuttier loaf which although delicious it’s not what we are after with this recipe.
Yeast – Using instant yeast makes it a quick rise and everything happens faster. However, if desired the dough can certainly be refrigerated for overnight proofing for extra flavor, although it really isn’t necessary at all. If all that’s available is an active dry yeast then use that, just consider that things will take longer to get going and rise, so it’s a much slower process especially in a cold climate. This type of yeast works best for a slow overnight rise.
Mashed Potatoes – Any cold leftovers will work just fine here, or you can simply boil a couple of gold potatoes and mash them until creamy.

FAQ

How do I make the dough light and fluffy? – For best results keep the dough simple and pack your garden bounty on the top. You could mix in some chopped rosemary and even a handful of olives, but keep the bulk of things on the top, just like a pizza. If you think about it, this is nothing but a divine deep dish pizza after all, so you can really go wild here! Alternatively you can spread it thin in a large baking sheet and bake as pizza.
Can this bread be used for sandwiches? – Absolutely, this truly is the perfect thickness and texture to make an amazing sandwich. You can even use it for this divine smashed chickpea salad sandwich!
Why do we dimple the dough? – Same concept as scoring bread, it’s important to prevent the dough from bubbling and collapsing during baking. Also those little dimples are great for the classic olive oil drizzle to pool into resulting in an even golden color surface. They are also nice for any toppings to nest into and prevent them from sliding around to the center or the sides.

About the Toppings

Caramelized Onion – I love a focaccia bread covered in jammy caramelized onions and a layer of either heirloom tomatoes or thinly sliced potatoes. The order of things here is very important with the onions needing some shelter from the high oven temperatures to prevent charring. So make sure the onions go on first then tomatoes or potato slices. Make sure to prep your onions in advance as they take some time to become their perfect self. Start with 3 or 4 large and sweet Vidalia onions and slowly sautee in a tiny drizzle of olive oil or water until totally collapsed and jammy sweet with a gorgeous amber hue. Stir often and have patience, that’s all there is to it. A caramelized leek could be used in lieu of the onions to pair with a potato topping and a sprinkling of rosemary. Because leeks and potatoes in any form are truly a match made in flavor heaven, make sure to also try our mashed potato salad + this dreamy creamy potato leek soup.
Heirloom Tomatoes or Potatoes – My advice here is to choose one or the other and layer over the caramelized onion. Tomatoes can go in thick slices but the potatoes must be sliced paper thin so they cook well just like potato chips. Another great flavor combination would be a mix of sautéed mushrooms + caramelized onions.
When do I add the toppings? – It’s important to wait until after the second rise, dimple the dough first then and only then you can add the toppings just before baking. This way they won’t get soft or weight down the dough.

The Baking Dish

For a thick style focaccia bread I love using a 9 inch round springform pan lined with these pre-cut parchment paper rounds and the sides lightly oiled. This makes it super easy to remove from the pan while getting those light crisp sides as if it were cooked in a skillet.

Storage + Reheating

Best stored at room temperature for up to three days. I keep it uncovered for the first day then wrap in parchment paper or place in a container with a lid overnight. It’s nice reheated the next day in the toaster oven or under the broiler, or just enjoyed at room temperature.

Focaccia Roll Variation

Yes it’ true, this is the perfect dough to shape and bake the ultimate garden focaccia rolls as well. Simply divide the dough into 8 or 10 pieces and shape into rolls. Place them in individual silicone muffin cups or use a muffin tin lined with parchment paper cups. Top each one with some of the caramelized onion, a slice of tomato or any favorite veggies before baking, I love riffing on our fan favorite tomato tart here.

Easy Vegan Recipes

how to make fluffy garden focaccia bread