Puglia — Bread & Flatbread Authority tier 1

Focaccia Barese all'Olio e Pomodorini

Puglia — Bari

Overview

Bari's focaccia — dramatically different from Ligurian focaccia in every way. The dough contains boiled potato (patata lessa) for extraordinary internal softness, olive oil in generous quantities both inside and below in the pan, and the entire surface is dimpled deeply with fingers before topping with cherry tomatoes (cut-side down, pressed in), dried oregano, and coarse salt. Baked at maximum temperature on an olive-oil-soaked baking tray, the base fries in the oil while the top bronzes.

Flavour Context

Rich olive oil, sweet cherry tomato, dried oregano, salt-crusted top, crisp fried bottom, feather-soft interior — deeply satisfying, intensely olive-oily

Key Principles

{"Boiled potato: 100g riced potato per 500g flour — the potato starch absorbs water differently than flour, producing an exceptionally soft, moist crumb that stays fresh for 2 days","High hydration: 75–80% water — the dough is very soft and wet; it is pressed (not rolled) into the oiled pan","Olive oil generosity: 4–5 tbsp in the dough, 3–4 tbsp in the pan, 2 tbsp drizzled over the surface before topping — Barese focaccia is essentially fried on its base","Dimple forcefully with wet fingers — deep dimples hold olive oil pools and keep the surface from over-puffing","Pomodorini cut-side down, pressed flush — the tomato juice releases into the dimples during baking, flavouring the surrounding dough"}

Pro Tips

{"Use lard instead of olive oil inside the dough for a richer crumb — some traditional Barese bakers use this technique","Add 1 teaspoon sugar to the dough — feeds the yeast and promotes crust caramelisation","Bake on the lowest rack for the first 15 minutes, then move to middle — ensures the base is crisped before the top sets","Focaccia barese is eaten warm within 2 hours of baking; it does not reheat well once fully cooled"}

Common Mistakes

{"Using too-cold water — potato focaccia is particularly sensitive to yeast temperature; water should be 28–30°C","Insufficient olive oil in the pan — the characteristic crisp, fried bottom cannot develop without the pan being generously oiled","Under-proofing — the dough must double in the pan before baking; rushing produces a dense, bread-like crumb rather than airy softness","Small dimples — shallow impressions close up in the oven and the olive oil pools are lost"}

Source

Il Pane di Puglia — Antonio Rotolo (Adda Editore)

Cross-Cuisine Parallels

{'cuisine': 'Ligurian', 'technique': 'Focaccia genovese', 'connection': 'Both use olive oil generously and dimpling — but Barese focaccia uses potato for softness and tomato topping where Genovese stays plain with sea salt'} {'cuisine': 'Sicilian', 'technique': 'Sfincione Palermitano', 'connection': 'Both are olive-oil-rich Sicilian/Southern Italian thick-base focaccias with tomato topping — sfincione adds anchovy and onion, barese keeps it simpler'} {'cuisine': 'Turkish', 'technique': 'Pide with tomato and cheese', 'connection': 'Flatbread baked on an oiled surface with fresh tomato pressed into the surface — both develop caramelised tomato juice pools into the dough'}