Homemade Focaccia Barese

There’s something about homemade focaccia that makes a kitchen feel instantly lived in.

The smell of olive oil, warm bread, and tomatoes roasting slowly in the oven somehow changes the whole atmosphere before the focaccia is even fully baked.

And focaccia Barese does that better than most.

The middle stays soft thanks to the potato in the dough, the bottom crisps underneath, and the tomatoes almost melt into the surface while everything bakes together. It feels rustic in the best possible way.

And by the time it comes out of the oven, tearing into it too early becomes almost impossible to resist. Which is usually around the exact moment Rita magically appears in the kitchen pretending she was “just passing by.”

Ingredients for My Homemade Focaccia Barese

This focaccia works because every part brings something important to the texture.

The semolina gives it structure, the potato keeps the inside soft, and the olive oil helps create those golden edges that make focaccia impossible to stop eating once you start.

This is not the kind of bread you make in a rush. The dough needs time, the rise matters, and honestly, that’s part of what makes focaccia Barese feel the way it does in the end.

Though if you want homemade bread without turning it into a whole afternoon project, Rita’s 3-Ingredient Bread Without Yeast exists exactly for those days.

This is what goes into it:

Dough

• 1 cup remilled durum wheat semolina (120 g) – Gives the focaccia its structure and slightly rustic texture.
• 1½ cups type 0 flour (200 g) – Keeps the dough soft and light.
• 1 medium boiled potato, mashed (150 g) – The reason the inside stays soft for hours after baking.
• ¾ cup + 1 tbsp water (200 ml) – Helps bring the dough together.
• 2 tsp active dry yeast (6 g) – Gives the dough its rise.
• 1 tbsp olive oil – Adds richness and elasticity.
• Salt, to taste

Topping

• 300 g fresh tomatoes – Roughly torn or chopped so they soften directly into the focaccia while baking.
• Green olives – Slightly salty and perfect against the sweetness of the tomatoes.
• Dried oregano – Essential for that unmistakable focaccia smell.
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil – A generous drizzle at the end changes everything.

This makes 1 round focaccia, technically enough for 4–6 people, assuming nobody starts tearing pieces off straight from the pan. And honestly, if there’s a bowl of my Cilantro Pepita Dressing somewhere nearby, it disappears even faster.

How To Make It

The dough starts very simply.

Both flours, yeast, salt, mashed potato, olive oil, water. Mixed together until it stops looking messy and starts looking like something alive.

Then comes the kneading. Work the dough for about ten minutes until it turns soft, smooth, and elastic. The potato changes the texture immediately. It feels softer than most bread doughs almost from the beginning.

Then it rests. Covered, somewhere warm, left alone until doubled in size while the rest of the kitchen moves on around it.

Once risen, the dough gets transferred into a very well-oiled round pan. And this is not the moment to be shy with the olive oil.

Using oiled hands, I stretch the dough gently toward the edges instead of forcing it. Then the tomatoes go on top, followed by the olives pressed slightly into the surface, oregano, salt, and another generous drizzle of olive oil.

At this point, it already smells like focaccia before it’s even baked.

After one final rest in the pan, it goes into the oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 25–30 minutes, until the kitchen smells like olive oil and roasted tomatoes and the edges turn deeply golden underneath.

And honestly, the hardest part is waiting those few minutes before cutting into it.

The Small Things That Matter Here

This recipe is simple, but focaccia notices small details very quickly.

• Don’t skip the potato. It’s what gives the inside that soft texture that makes focaccia Barese different from regular focaccia.
• Oil the pan generously. That’s how you get the crisp golden bottom.
• Use oiled hands to stretch the dough instead of adding more flour.
• And don’t overload the top with tomatoes. Too much moisture makes the center heavier.

You don’t really notice these things while making it. You notice them later, when people keep walking back into the kitchen for “just one more piece.”