Black Olive Parmesan Focaccia

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Whenever I make the mistake of grocery shopping on an empty stomach, I often find myself wandering away from my list, especially in the bakery section. So many times, I’ve loaded my basket with fresh cinnamon rolls and baguettes, but mostly the flavored focaccia offered by a few of my local grocery stores. They usually offer several flavors of focaccia, but my favorite was always the black olive and parmesan variety.

I say that that flavor “was” my favorite, because with this recipe, I can make an even better version myself! It tastes just like a grocery-baked version, without any preservatives, a fresher taste, and so much more flavor!

This black olive parmesan focaccia is easier than you might think

If you haven’t made focaccia before, you might think that focaccia is too much work, or takes too much time. True, sometimes it can be time-consuming, but not this recipe! It’s adapted from this one-hour focaccia recipe, so it’s actually pretty easy. And I made it with some of my favorite flavors and was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it came out!

Why cast iron?

If you aren’t cooking with cast iron, you’re missing out! A well-seasoned cast iron skillet is a perfect option for sweet and savory dishes alike. I’ve used my skillet for steak, casseroles, potatoes, braised chicken, corn bread, and cakes, and pizza! It’s perfect for cooking evenly and getting nice and hot. In this recipe, the cast iron skillet made the edges deliciously crispy, but the center of the bread was soft and flavorful. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can definitely still make this in an 8 or 9-inch cake pan.

I think this black olive parmesan focaccia is a great alternative to store-bought bakery bread, and would be a fantastic complement to any meal! Try it yourself and let me know what you think!

Black Olive Parmesan Focaccia

Full of flavor and with satisfying crispy edges! A surprisingly easy way to have fresh, delicious focaccia bread on your table in no time!

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine :Italian

Servings: 6 pieces

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

Equipment you may need

10-inch cast-iron skillet

hand mixer

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ¼ oz active dry yeast – (one packet)
• ¾ cup warm water
• ½ tsp granulated sugar
• 1¾ cup all-purpose flour – (224g) divided, plus more for sprinkling
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ cup parmesan cheese – shredded
• 5½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp italian seasoning blend
• 3 tbsp black olives – chopped

For the Topping

• ½ cup parmesan cheese – shredded
• 1 tbsp black olives – sliced
• red pepper flakes – optional
• flaky sea salt – optional

Instructions

Prepare focaccia dough

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Grease bottom and sides of a cast iron skillet or 8 or 9-inch cake pan.
• Add warm water and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
• Sprinkle in yeast and stir. Wait 5-10 minutes for yeast to get foamy.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, salt, and parmesan cheese.
• Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the yeast/water mixture and mix until combined.
• Add chopped olives, garlic powder, and italian seasoning and stir until combined.
• With mixer on low, gradually add remaining ¾ cup of flour mixture to the yeast/water mixture and mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle a little extra flour on top. Form into flattened disk, and place into greased skillet.
• Turn oven off. Cover dough in skillet with a clean towel and place in over to rise for 20 minutes.
• Remove skillet from oven. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Add Topping

• Remove cloth from pan and brush dough liberally with oil.
• Sprinkle with ½ cup parmesan cheese and place sliced olives evenly on top of cheese.
• Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top, depending on your taste.
• Place pan back in preheated oven and bake at 400°F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown on top.
• Remove pan from oven and brush top of bread with more olive oil. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from One-Hour Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Nutrition Disclaimer

Tags: black olives, focaccia, gingerbread, olives, parmesan

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

Let me know below how this focaccia came out for you, and check out my other savory recipes! I am hoping to add more savory snack and meal recipes to the blog in the coming weeks!