Puglia
The definitive focaccia of Bari — a thick, soft, dimpled bread made with semolina flour, boiled potato mashed into the dough, olive oil and topped with halved cherry tomatoes pressed into the surface, olives and dried oregano. The potato makes the crumb extraordinarily tender and the crust remarkably crisp. Baked at very high heat in a round tin with a generous pool of olive oil on the bottom.
Crisp and oily on the base, soft and airy inside; tomato juice absorbed into the dough; olive oil richness throughout; oregano adds herbal intensity — the focaccia that all other Italian focacce are judged against
{"Mash the boiled potato while still hot and let it cool to 30°C before incorporating — the starch must be fully hydrated; cold potato is lumpy","Hydrate the dough to 80% (by flour weight) — focaccia barese is a very high-hydration dough that requires gentle handling","Pour abundant olive oil into the baking tin before the dough — this is what creates the distinctive crackling, oily base","Press halved cherry tomatoes into the dough skin-side up — the juice absorbs into the focaccia during baking","Bake at 250°C for 20–25 minutes — the very high heat is what crisps the oily base while keeping the crumb soft"}
{"Refrigerate the shaped focaccia overnight for a slow fermentation — this develops more flavour than a single-day rise","The potato can be substituted with potato flakes (instant potato) in equal weight — produces an identical result","Fresh tomatoes must be halved and pressed in deeply — they must contact the dough, not sit on the surface"}
{"Using wheat flour only — potato in the dough is what distinguishes focaccia barese from all other Italian focacce","Insufficient oil in the tin — the bottom must be almost deep-frying the focaccia base; 50ml per 30cm tin is minimum","Low baking temperature — the crust will not crisp and the focaccia will be soft throughout rather than crisp-bottomed and soft-topped"}
La Cucina Pugliese — Pane, Olio e Pomodoro