Description
This festive Christmas Tree Focaccia is a visually stunning and flavorful bread perfect for holiday gatherings. Featuring a soft, airy dough topped with rosemary sprigs arranged like tree branches, slices of pear, cherry tomatoes, pearl onions, and a sprinkle of coarse salt, this focaccia is both a delicious centerpiece and a savory treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
- 1 2/3 cup warm water
Toppings
- Pear, sliced (small piece for tree base and topper)
- Pearl onions, peeled and halved
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Coarse salt, for sprinkling
- Plenty of olive oil (a few tablespoons, for drizzling and coating)
Instructions
- Mix the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups bread flour, 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast, and 1 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt until combined. Add 1 2/3 cups warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is shaggy and wet. This forms the base focaccia dough.
- First rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours, overnight, until the dough has risen, become bubbly, and looks beautiful.
- Prepare the pan: Next day, drizzle olive oil generously on the bottom of a 7×12 inch casserole dish or similar size. Tip the risen dough out of the bowl into the oiled dish and use your hands to spread it to fit snugly.
- Dimple and second rise: Press your fingers into the dough to create dimples all over the surface and drizzle with more olive oil. Cover lightly and let it rise for 2 more hours to puff up further.
- Preheat oven: Once the dough has risen again, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit so it’s ready for baking.
- Decorate the tree: Arrange fresh rosemary sprigs on the dough to resemble tree branches fanned out. Use a small sliced piece of pear for the tree base and sliced pear for the topper. Halve cherry tomatoes and pearl onions and distribute them as ornaments along the branches. Add thin slices of red onion if desired for additional decoration and color.
- Season and bake: Sprinkle the decorated focaccia lightly with coarse salt and drizzle a little more olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until the bread is golden, puffed, and the toppings have set.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve warm as a beautiful festive bread.
Notes
- Use warm water around 100-110°F to activate the yeast for best rise.
- Allowing the dough to ferment overnight develops flavor and improves texture.
- You can customize the decorations with any colorful veggies or herbs you like for your tree.
- Be generous with olive oil to keep the focaccia moist and flavorful.
- If you prefer a crisper crust, bake a few extra minutes but watch closely to avoid burning toppings.
- Serve freshly baked focaccia warm for best taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/8 loaf)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
