When I want fresh homemade bread, I make focaccia. Its crisp, olive oil-scented crust and puffy, moist, airy crumb with just the right amount of tender chew is always satisfying. On top of how sublimely delicious it is, focaccia has another key selling point: The dough is very easy and forgiving to make and doesn’t demand any special equipment—just a little bit of time to sit in the fridge and develop. But perhaps my favorite thing about focaccia is how easy it is to customize its flavors simply by adding creative ingredients to the dough or using them as toppings.
In this recipe, our Birmingham, Alabama–based test kitchen colleague Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman has developed a focaccia that delivers a one-two flavor punch by adding a winning combination of carrots and the spicy-sweet Korean fermented chile paste gochujang. It has a gorgeous orange hue and earthy, complex flavor from stirring carrot juice and gochujang into the dough. After the dough is pressed into a pan, carrot ribbons are added to the top and then its brushed with an easy-to-prepare scallion- and ginger-infused oil that’s basted into every dimple for a glistening and aromatic finish. It’s an attention grabbing bread that will turn heads at any dinner party, but it’s surprising simply to bake at home.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
The No-Knead Method
The method Tricia uses in her carrot-gochujang focaccia is largely based on the technique used in Serious Eats’ easy no-knead olive-rosemary focaccia and our foolproof pan pizza. The crux of it is a highly hydrated, no-knead, dough. And we really mean zero kneading, or folding, or even stretching. It’s just about the easiest bread you can imagine making. All it takes is a bit of time.
There’s nothing new about no-knead dough. As former Serious Eats editor and culinary wiz Kenji points out in his no-knead focaccia recipe, it’s a technique that was developed by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery and popularized by Mark Bittman of the New York Times way back in 2007. The basic premise is simple: Mix together your dough ingredients in a bowl just until they’re combined, cover it, and let time take care of the rest.
For this version, we use the bread basics: flour, salt, yeast, and good oil, but Tricia swaps in carrot juice in place of the standard water and adds in a sizable scoop of gochujang. The combination of these two ingredients creates an incredible jewel-toned appearance with a balanced spicy, sweet, and aromatic flavor. Finally, thinly sliced scallions are folded into the dough, building even more savory flavor.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
Fort the best focaccia, don’t skimp on the olive oil when greasing the pan. The oil in the pan actually performs two functions: First, it allows the dough to relax and expand freely without sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the yeast gets to work for a second time, the dough slowly expands. Because it’s so well-hydrated and rested, it’s quite slack. Instead of growing upwards, it grows sideways, filling out the pan to the edges over the course of about two to three hours. Second, the olive oil is what will give your focaccia its signature crisp, nearly fried bottom crust, all while packing it with flavor.
A final tip for making the dough: Be sure you use a digital scale to measure your dough ingredients into a bowl instead of relying on less-accurate cup measures. This will ensure the best results.
Topping the Focaccia
To echo the carrot flavor in the dough and create an attractive finish, carrot ribbons are briefly microwaved until tender and then scattered over the proofed dough. They’re then pressed down into the dough, dimpling the surface in the process. This ensures the carrot topping sticks to the bread once baked. This dimpling is a traditional feature of focaccia. When pressing the dough you’ll probably see a few thin-walled bubbles poking up through the dough. It’s a good idea to pop these with a sharp paring knife or just your fingers—otherwise they’ll expand like balloons in the oven, disturbing the toppings and eventually creating unwanted charred spots.
After it comes out of the oven, the bread should sit in the pan to cool slightly for just a few minutes before it’s transferred to a wire rack. At this point, the bread is delicious as is, but it’s even better when liberally brushed with an aromatic ginger- and scallion-infused oil. Serve this focaccia alongside your favorite pasta, chicken, or fish dish, or as a starter—ideally torn dipped into good olive oil while still warm.
This recipe was developed by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman; the headnote was written by Leah Colins.
This Crispy, Spicy Focaccia Is Wildly Delicious
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For the Dough:
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500 g bread flour (17 1/2 ounces; about 3 1/2 cups)
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7 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1/4 ounce; 2 1/2 teaspoons); for table salt, use half the amount by volume
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7 g (1/4 ounce) instant yeast
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420 g (1 3/4 cups) lukewarm pure, unsweetened carrot juice (100°F to 105°F), (see notes)
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74 g (1/4 cup) gochujang
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90 ml (6 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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64 g thinly sliced scallions (2 1/4 ounces; about 4 scallions)
For the Toppings:
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4 ounces (113 g) carrots, peeled and trimmed
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1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup olive oil (5 ml plus 60 ml), divided
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1 teaspoon (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt use half as much by volume
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1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, from 1 (1-inch) peeled piece
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2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (from 1 scallion), plus more for garnish
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3 medium garlic cloves, minced
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
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For the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast until well combined. Add carrot juice, gochujang, and 1 tablespoon oil; stir until well combined and no dry pockets of flour remain. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until puffed, bubbly, and doubled in size, at least 10 hours or up to 24 hours. Uncover and, using greased hands, fold scallion slices into dough until evenly distributed. Set aside.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
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Generously oil bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch metal baking pan with 3 tablespoons oil. Using greased hands, shape dough into a rough ball and place seam-side down in prepared pan. Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Uncover and gently stretch and press dough to mostly fill pan using greased hands. Loosely cover again and let stand until dough is very soft, puffed, jiggly, and bubbly, 2 to 3 hours.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
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For the Toppings: Meanwhile, using a Y-peeler, peel carrots lengthwise into about 1 cup of thin ribbons. Reserve any extra carrot for another use. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, toss carrot ribbons, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together. Cover and microwave on high until slightly softened, 1 minute. Carefully uncover and set aside to cool.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
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In a small saucepan, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil until hot and shimmering, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully stir in ginger and cook, stirring constantly for 15 seconds. (Ginger may cause oil to pop slightly when initially stirred in.) Add scallion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 20 seconds. Pour oil mixture into a small heatproof bowl; stir in sesame oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside, uncovered, until ready to use.
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One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and place baking stone or steel on it. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Drizzle dough with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Using your fingertips, gently press and stretch dough to evenly fill all corners of the pan. Lift up one edge of the dough to let air bubbles underneath escape and repeat, moving around the dough until there are no large air bubbles left underneath and the dough is evenly spread around the pan. Arrange carrots in coils and ribbons over top of dough, overlapping as needed. Dimple focaccia in about 1- to 1 1/2-inch increments, pressing carrots into dough deeply.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
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Bake, positioning pan on top of baking stone, until focaccia is puffed, golden brown on both top and bottom and crisp when you lift it with a thin spatula, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Using a thin metal spatula, remove bread from pan and transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Generously brush top and sides of bread with prepared scallion oil. Let sit to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature and garnish with more scallions, if desired.
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
Special Equipment
9- x 13-inch metal baking pan, Y-shaped vegetable peeler, small saucepan, pastry brush, baking stone or steel
Notes
You can use store-bought bottled carrot juice or fresh carrot juice for this recipe. If using store-bought make sure to purchase an unsweetened variety.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Focaccia is best enjoyed while still warm, but leftover focaccia can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes before serving.