Traditional Focaccia Barese Recipe
What is Focaccia Barese – and Why Is It Italy’s Favourite Focaccia?
Focaccia barese is a traditional flatbread from the city of Bari, in the southern Italian region of Puglia. Unlike other regional focaccias across Italy, focaccia barese is distinguished by its crunchy golden base, soft interior, and a topping of crushed peeled tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives, and oregano, all drenched in generous amounts of local extra virgin olive oil. Often baked in a seasoned iron tin that mimics a frying effect on the bottom, it’s a celebration of simplicity and flavour.
What Makes It Unique?
- The dough: Typically made from a mix of wheat flour and semolina for added texture, and sometimes enriched with mashed potato for a fluffier bite (though purists prefer it without).
- The topping: Always tomato-based – a mix of tinned and fresh cherry tomatoes, sometimes with olives and always a dusting of oregano.
- The technique: The dough is dimpled with fingers and bathed in an emulsion of water and olive oil before baking at a high temperature. The result? A crisp, almost fried base and a juicy, flavour-packed top.
Why Is It So Loved in Italy?
Focaccia barese has become a symbol of Puglia’s rustic, no-nonsense food culture. For many Pugliese – and especially in Bari – focaccia is a daily ritual. Unwrapping the oil-soaked paper with eager hands, taking care not to let the tomatoes fall out. It’s the school snack, the seaside lunch, the aperitivo nibble. Nostalgic, working-class roots and no-frills preparation give it cultural weight.
Easy to eat on the go and sold in bakeries by the slice, it’s loved by locals and tourists alike. The ultimate Bari street food! Fresh out of the oven or it’s delicious. The balance of crunch, salt, and tang makes it addictive.
Walking around the streets of Bari Vecchia, the scent of tomatoes and olive oil drifting through the streets is unmistakeable. It’s not just Italy’s favourite focaccia because it’s good – it’s because it tastes like home.
Known locally In Bari as f’cazz, it must have a crisp base and a soft, moist top. It’s simple to make, and the results are fantastic. The only essential tool is a traditional iron baking tin, which helps produce that signature crunch thanks to its heat conductivity.
To Potato Or Not To Potato!
As for the potato or no potato debate: we prefer a thinner, crispier focaccia. Adding potato gives a higher, fluffier result—it’s a different style. If you’d like to try both and decide for yourself, just add about 100g of mashed boiled potato to the flour before mixing. Either way, the satisfaction of making your own focaccia is immense!
Ingredients
For a round tin, 40cm in diameter
For the dough:
- 250g plain flour (type 0)
- 250g remilled durum wheat semolina
- 35g dried sourdough starter (or 12g fresh brewer’s yeast, or 7g dry yeast)
- 400ml warm water
- 1 heaped tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon wildflower honey (or sugar as a substitute)
For the topping:
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 250g peeled plum tomatoes
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 15 Baresane olives (or small black olives)
- Salt to taste
- Dried oregano to taste
For the emulsion:
- 100ml water
- 50ml EVOO
Method
- Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour and semolina. Create a well in the centre and add the yeast and honey. If using fresh yeast, dissolve it first in some of the warm water.
Slowly pour the warm water into the centre, starting to mix gently so the yeast begins to combine with the flour and honey.
Add the salt around the edges of the bowl and continue mixing by hand, gradually incorporating the remaining water. The dough should be very sticky and doesn’t need too much kneading. - First rise
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place (such as the oven with the light on) for 3–4 hours, or until doubled in volume. - Prepare the tin
Preheat your oven to the highest setting. Pour a generous amount of EVOO into the base of the tin – it should almost fry the base of the focaccia. Spread the dough into the tin and use your fingers to dimple the surface. - Add the toppings
Crush the peeled tomatoes with your hands and scatter over the dough.
Halve the cherry tomatoes, gently squeezing them over the dough so their juice falls onto it before placing them cut-side up.
Add the olives, a sprinkle of oregano, and a pinch of salt. - Add the emulsion
In a glass, whisk together the water and EVOO. Pour over the focaccia, tilting the tin to distribute it evenly. - Bake
Bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 250°C (fan-assisted) for 10–15 minutes.
Move to the middle rack and bake for a further 10–12 minutes, or until the base is golden and crisp and the top is nicely browned.
Cooking times may vary by oven, so check frequently. - Serve
It’s hard not to, so eat immediately. It’s better like that anyway!
Tips & Variations
- We use dried sourdough starter, but fresh yeast works just as well—just dissolve it in warm water.
- Honey helps activate the yeast but can be replaced with sugar.
- This dough is best worked by hand, not in a mixer.
- Use a traditional iron tin for an authentic focaccia with a crisp, bakery-style base.
To season the tin before use:- Brush with EVOO and bake at full heat for 30 minutes.
- Cool, repeat once more.
- The surface should become dark, shiny, and smooth (but not sticky).
- After each use, never wash the tin with soap. Simply wipe clean with a cloth.
- If heavily soiled, pour hot water into the warm tin and rinse quickly – still without detergent. Dry thoroughly to prevent rust.
- If you don’t have an iron tin, use a high-quality non-stick baking tray.
- Avoid aluminium trays, as the dough will likely stick.
Buon appetito!
More focaccia barese | Visiting Bari? Here’s the Puglia Guys Guide to finding the best focaccia barese in Bari (as well as other typical dishes).
Focaccia barese – the original recipe from Bari’s oldest panificio, Panificio Fiore.
