Black Olive Parmesan Focaccia

Last Updated on November 8, 2020 by Chenée Lewis

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!

Plus, it’s so quick! Sure, you might think that focaccia is too much work, or takes too much time. While focaccia can sometimes be time-consuming, this no-knead focaccia recipe is not! Thanks to instant yeast and a quick proofing technique, you can have focaccia in just one hour.

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 cast iron focaccia 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 no-knead cast iron focaccia recipe 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!

Related Recipes

If you’re interested in another Italian-inspired recipe to go with this cast iron skillet focaccia with black olives, you should try my Orange Rosemary Olive Oil Cake. It’s so easy, and full of bright citrus and olive oil flavor!

Another one of my favorite yeast bread recipes you might also want to try is my Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Roll Recipe. These rolls are big, soft, and full of amazing spices. Plus, they’re topped with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting that is SO good. Give them a try!

Black Olive Parmesan Focaccia

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A no-knead, easy cast iron skillet focaccia recipe with simple ingredients that can be in the oven in minutes! Made with black olive and freshly grated parmesan cheese, this quick focaccia recipe is irresistible!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine :American, Italian

Servings: 6 pieces

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

Equipment you may need

• 10-inch cast-iron skillet
• hand mixer
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• 8-inch round cake pans
• towel
• hand mixer
• stand mixer
• pastry brush

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ¼ oz active dry yeast - (one packet)
• ¾ cup warm water
• ½ tsp granulated sugar
• 2 cup all-purpose flour - (256g) divided, plus more for sprinkling
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ cup parmesan cheese - freshly grated
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - divided
• 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 with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
• 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, whisk 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, italian seasoning, and 3 tbsp of olive oil 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 2 tbsp olive oil. Use your fingers to form indentations evenly in the dough.
• 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 allow to cool in pan 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from One-Hour Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Storage and freezing: once fully cooled, this focaccia freezes well, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.  Otherwise, it’s best served the day it’s baked, but it can be wrapped in an airtight container and stored for up to 2 days at room temperature.

 

Nutrition Disclaimer

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