Sage focaccia is topped with fresh sage leaves that bake up to a deliciously crisp topping on this chewy no-knead bread. Slice it up as an appetizer or serve make it part of a healthy Mediterranean meal.
sage focaccia bread
Have you ever had fried sage leaves? Sometimes you’ll get them in a rustic pasta dish in an Italian restaurant, or even wrapped around cheese and fried as an appetizer. If you’ve had them you know how utterly delicious they are. They’re the star of this easy to make, no-knead classic Italian bread. This is a fun recipe to serve to guests, and actually a great project to do with kids because it’s creative, and quite simple.
what you’ll need
This bread is super simple as written, and makes a great accompaniment to all kinds of meals.
- all purpose flour
- a 1/4-ounce package of active dry yeast.
- warm water activates the yeast and makes a soft dough
- salt gets mixed into the dough and sprinkled on top before baking.
- olive oil adds great richness and flavor, it’s what makes focaccia so delicious!
- fresh sage leaves are responsible for all the delicious flavor in this recipe. My garden went crazy with sage this summer, but you can definitely buy it fresh in the store, too. It’s nice to have a mix of different sized leaves so that you can nestle them together on top of the focaccia dough.
how to laminate herbs on focaccia bread
Fresh herbs and chewy, salty, olive-oil-enriched focaccia bread were made to be paired….
- Adding herbs will be the last thing you do before sliding your bread into the oven.
- After you’ve patted out your bread and added the olive oil and salt, you can arrange the herbs over the surface.
- Gently pat them down into the surface of the bread. The key is to press them lightly onto the raw dough, just until they adhere.
- Sage leaves stick relatively well to the bread, and even adhere pretty well to the bread once it’s baked and cut, but they will shrink and lift a little bit in the oven, so keep that in mind.
- Other herbs, like thyme, parsley, and chives, will work well too. Thyme and parsley leaves tend to be more delicate than sage and get a little more ‘well done’ in the oven.
the flavor of fried sage
Sage is one of the most pungent herbs, but sadly we Americans mostly know it as the musty powdered stuff we keep at the back of our pantry for our annual stuffing recipes. Fresh sage is a lovely sensual experience. Rub one of the velvety leaves between your fingers to release the aroma.
Fried sage takes that experience up a notch. The flavor itself is mellowed, and the texture is shatteringly crisp. So while the sage leaves on your focaccia might lose some of their fresh green color in the oven, they’ll more than make up for it in flavor.
You can fry fresh sage leaves in a little olive oil in a skillet to use as a garnish, or eat as a snack! Heat the oil and drop in the leaves, they’ll crisp almost instantly. Drain on a paper towel and give them a shower of sea salt. Heaven.
more recipes for herb garden gluts
- Chive and Parsley Pesto
- Savory Herb Shortbread Cookies
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream
- Why you should be using Tarragon!
Sage Focaccia
Ingredients
- 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (110-115F)
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- fresh sage leaves, for topping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast, salt, and warm water.
- Mix in the flour, starting with 2 cups, and then adding the rest, until a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
- Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about 1 hour, until at least doubled in size and very bubbly. Preheat oven to 400F while it is rising.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the focaccia dough onto the lined baking sheet and gently spread it out with your fingers into a large rectange or oval.
- Dipping your fingers in the olive oil, make dimples over the top of the bread, and top with a bit more flaky salt. Note: don't be shy with the olive oil, it gives the bread great flavor and creates a crunchy crust.
- Gently press the fresh sage leaves on top of the bread.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed and starting to turn golden.
Nutrition
hi,
The taste was very good but it didn’t rise as in the picture and the leaves didn’t stick to the dough. any suggestions?
This recipe lacks big bubble soft sponge airy texture because the dough lacks structure. Build in strength and rise for a fluffier Focaccia.
I use 4 cups Bread Flour 00, 12% protein, 2 cups warm water, 2 tsp yeast, 2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
To prepare dough dissolve the yeast, salt in warm water, then mix in oil. Add to flour, create that shaggy dough in a large oiled bowl, mix dough with hands for a smooth sticky texture. Cover let sit for 30 minutes. No kneading required. After 30 minutes return to do a stretch and fold series. Take the dough from the opposite side and stretch it, pull towards you and tuck it. Turn the bowl 1/3 and stretch the dough and pull it to you and tuck, turn the bowl for the final stretch and pull, and tuck. Cover for 30 minutes and repeat this series of stretch and pull two more times. This takes about 2 hours. After the last series of stretch and pull is done, cover bowl well with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. Prepare 9 inch rectangle pan pour generously with olive oil. Your dough should be risen and bubbly. Place it in the pan, drizzle with more olive oil and pat. Cover well and let sit for 1 hour. The dough should be well risen and bubbly. Oil hands, pour more olive oil on dough and perform the dimple giggle technique, add whole olives and rosemary toppings and or sage. Oil the toppings or they will burn. Warm oven to 400F. Bake for 20-22 minutes convection bake. Allow Focaccia bread to cool fully before cutting. To make a sandwich sub style, simply slice and add prosciutto ham and wet mozzarella. This is Emma Fontannella’s recipe.
Hi Sue! Just started reading your site and I’m already a huge fan! I’m going to try this recipe, but I wonder, in light of MHW’s comment below, is it possible the instructions omit adding a portion of the olive oil to the actual dough itself?
Thank you for a beautiful and inspiring website!
Hi Anne, and welcome in! This recipe doesn’t use oil in the dough, just on top.
This recipe makes a VERY chewy flatbread, not focaccia. I would suggest adding some olive oil to the dough itself to make it more tender and letting the stretched dough have a second rise to make an airier texture. It’s beautiful though!
I have bread flour that I would like to use up. Can it be used instead of all purpose flour?
Yes, absolutely.
I don’t particularly like save so I tried thinly sliced onions and some dill.. That worked. Then I got a brainstorm and added rumbled feta before baking. THAT did it! Great with stew or soups!love your cooking!!! My kitchen must be a lot like yours…experimental always. Thanks for experimenting for all of us! Jan Louise Adams
Quick work Jan, thank you!!
I do love this sage focaccia, but however….love your idea also,
Will be making both creations.
Awesome ideas for both of these.