What Is Focaccia Bread and How Is It Different?

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread made from a base similar to pizza dough… but don’t let its association with flatbread fool you, this bread’s fluffy. Let’s learn all about what makes focaccia such a good option when you’re deciding what to serve with, well, practically anything! Let’s take a look at focaccia, folks! 

How to pronounce focaccia bread?

Pronunciation questions are always my favorite to answer, because it shows the huge amount of power I wield with these articles. If I were an unjust fellow, I could give a preposterous pronunciation and it would legally have to be taken as gospel. Lucky for everyone here, I am a benevolent and entirely reasonable man, who just wants what’s best for everyone. So, that being said, it’s pronounced “fo-kah-cha.” 

What is in focaccia bread?

Focaccia is made with much of the same things you might use to make pizza dough: flour, oil, water, yeast, and salt. What sets it apart, however, is that focaccia dough is made with more yeast than pizza dough, which allows a more substantial rise, which is why focaccia is fluffy. 

How to eat focaccia bread?

Focaccia is a magnificently versatile bread that can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways. First off, as you might expect, focaccia can be eaten as it is, straight out of the oven (or re-warmed later, if you didn’t catch it on the first pass). It’s wonderful toasted (try it the next time you make garlic bread), and sliced in half it can be used as a sandwich bread. Try it with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella for a truly top tier sammy. Serve it with soup or stew and use it to sop up what’s leftover, like a delicious, edible sponge. 

What to serve with focaccia bread?

Besides the aforementioned soups and stews, focaccia also goes fantastically with salads, antipasto mixes, and pasta dishes. On its lonesome, it can be served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (like we said, it’s amazing at sopping up delicious liquids) as a pre-meal snack. 

What makes focaccia bread different from pizza or other bread?

As mentioned above, focaccia bread is different from pizza dough because of the amount of yeast in the dough. That causes it to rise and become airy and puffy in the oven—it’s typically about a half to one-inch-thick. That’s thicker than most pizza crusts, but flatter than most breads because it is spread onto a pan before baking. 

Is focaccia bread vegan?

Yes, in general, traditional focaccia is vegan-friendly as it uses olive oil as its fat, which is plant-based and suitable for vegans. But there are some focaccia recipes that call for eggs, so check the label or ask—just to be safe. And watch out for focaccia topped with cheese, because it’s out there! (And it’s delicious if you do eat cheese.)


About the Author

Joe Rumrill

Joe Rumrill is a fictional one-eyed spinach-loving sailor created in 1929 by E.C Se- Wait, no, that's not right... Joe Rumrill is a stand up comedian and writer currently based in Los Angeles. His favorite thing about food is a close tie between the taste and the nutrients one gets from it. His least favorite thing about it is the "gritty, dirt-like quality some food has", but he's most likely referring to the time in third grade he was dared to eat playground sand.

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