Focaccia
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
Italian olive-oil bread with dimpled tops and crispy edges – a wet dough you stretch and fold instead of kneading.
- Serves 8
- About 2 hr 30 min
- Oven
- Best for: KS2 (ages 7–11)
- Vegan
Ingredients
- 400 g strong white bread flour – contains gluten
- 7 g fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 320 ml hand-warm water
- 5 tbsp olive oil, split: 2 in the dough, 3 for the tin and top
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs or oregano, dried rosemary or mixed herbs
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
Need a different amount? Use the recipe finder to change the servings.
Equipment
- digital scales
- measuring jug
- large mixing bowl
- spatula
- clean tea towel
- roasting tin (about 20 x 30 cm)
- oven gloves
- cooling rack
Safety first
- Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, tie back long hair and put on a clean apron.
- Ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes. This recipe contains: gluten.
- Do not eat raw dough or cake mixture – raw flour and raw egg can carry harmful bacteria.
- Use dry oven gloves for anything that has been in the oven or under the grill.
Allergens: Cereals containing gluten. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Mix the flour, yeast and salt, then stir in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of oil to make a very soft, sticky dough. Do not add more flour – the wet dough gives focaccia its big holes.
- Every 15 minutes for an hour, wet your hand and stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over the top; turn the bowl and repeat 4 times. This builds gluten without kneading. (1 hr)
- Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into the tin, tip in the dough and gently stretch it towards the corners. Cover and leave to rise until puffy. (30 min)
- Teacher-led: Turn the oven on to 220 °C (200 °C fan, gas 7).
- Oil your fingertips and press deep dimples all over the dough, right to the bottom. Drizzle with the last of the oil, sprinkle with herbs and press in the tomatoes if using. (Younger children: Press dimples all over the dough with oily fingertips – this is the fun part.)
- Teacher-led: Bake until golden and crisp at the edges. (25 min)
- An adult lifts it onto the rack with a fish slice. Cool for 10 minutes and tear or cut into squares. (10 min)
What this recipe teaches
Mixing, Kneading and shaping dough, Proving dough, Using an oven safely, Shaping and rolling, Presenting food. Steps marked “Adult” are always done by an adult; steps marked “Teacher-led” are done by an adult for primary-age children.
Nutrition per serving
| Energy | 1063 kJ / 254 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 9.1 g |
| of which saturates | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 39.7 g |
| of which sugars | 0.3 g |
| Fibre | 1.9 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Salt | 0.74 g |
Worked out from the raw ingredients (optional ones and pinches not counted) using CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, Public Health England). Brands vary – check labels.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021, Public Health England.
Eatwell Guide groups in this recipe: Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; Oil and spreads. Learn about the Eatwell Guide.
Curriculum links
- KS2 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet”
- KS2 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques”
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.