Focaccia barese is Puglia's magnificent flatbread—a thick, golden, dimpled focaccia topped with halved cherry tomatoes, olives, and olive oil, with a crumb that is simultaneously airy and moist, a bottom crust that is gloriously crisp from the olive oil pooled in the pan, and a top that glistens with tomato juices and oil. This is not Genovese focaccia (which is thinner, softer, and topped only with oil and salt)—the Barese version is thicker, more robust, and emphatically topped, making it closer to a pizza-focaccia hybrid that functions as a complete snack or light meal. The dough uses durum wheat flour (semola di grano duro) blended with bread flour, which gives the crumb its characteristic golden colour and slightly nutty flavour—a Pugliese signature that distinguishes it from all other Italian focacce. The dough is high-hydration (70-75%), mixed with yeast, salt, and a generous pour of olive oil, given a long, slow rise, then stretched into a well-oiled round pan, dimpled vigorously with fingertips, and topped with halved pomodorini (cherry tomatoes, cut-side down), pitted olives, and more olive oil. A second, shorter rise allows the dough to puff around the toppings before baking at high heat (220-240°C) until the top is golden, the tomatoes are blistered, and the bottom is crisp and almost fried from the pool of oil in the pan. The bottom crust is the glory of focaccia barese—it should be deeply golden-brown, crisp, and almost cracker-like, achieved by the generous olive oil that essentially fries the base during baking. Focaccia barese is sold at every bakery (panificio) and street corner in Bari, consumed at all hours from breakfast to late-night snack.
Durum wheat flour (semola) blended with bread flour. High-hydration dough (70-75%). Generous olive oil in the dough and pan. Topped with cherry tomatoes (cut-side down), olives, olive oil. Dimple vigorously. Bottom crust must be crisp and golden from the oil. Bake at 220-240°C.
Use at least 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan—it should pool generously. Push the tomatoes firmly into the dough so they don't pop out during baking. A cold overnight fermentation develops more flavour and a more open crumb. The dough should be very wet and sticky—don't add flour, just oil your hands. When done, the focaccia should slide freely in the pan on its oil-fried bottom.
Using only bread flour (durum wheat is essential for flavour and colour). Insufficient olive oil in the pan (the bottom must fry). Placing tomatoes cut-side up (they dry out instead of releasing juice into the dough). Under-dimpling (the dimples hold oil and create the characteristic texture). Under-baking (the bottom must be deeply golden).
Carol Field, The Italian Baker; Touring Club Italiano, Puglia in Cucina