FOCACCIA WITH BEER, POTATO & ROSEMARY
Prep: 4 hour | Cooking Time: 20 min | Resting time recommended: 15 min. | Serve: 4
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A rustic classic from Puglia, passed down from my mum’s kitchen to yours. This focaccia is a recipe close to my heart. It’s more than a bread-it’s a memory. My mum used to make this at home in our kitchen in Puglia. The scent of rosemary and beer mixing with the warmth of cooked potatoes is something I carry with me every time i bake. I hope it become a comforting staple in your home too, just as it has always been in mine.
Ingredients
Tipo “00” Flour`- 750 gr
Fine Semolina - 750 gr
Desiree Potatoes - 600 gr
Water (room temperature) - 450 ml
Fresh Yest - 15 gr
Salt - 30 gr
Sugar - 25 gr
Lager Beer - 600 ml
Rosemary, finely chopped - 50 gr
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 75 ml
Method
Cook the potatoes whole with their skins in salted water until tender. Drain, let cool slightly, peel, and mash while still warm. Set aside
Dissolve the fresh yeast in the room temperature water.
In a large bowl or stand mixer , combine the flours, mashed potatoes, sugar, salt, beer, and the yeast mixture
Knead the dough (using a mixer or by hand) for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic
Shape into a ball and place it in a large tray lined with baking paper and sprayed with butter or oil
Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Gently stretch and shape the dough to fill the tray. Top with the chopped rosemary and a generous drizzle of Olive oil
Let it rest again for 1 hour
Bake it in a preheated oven at 220 C ( fan/ combi setting) for around 15 minutes, turning the tray every 5 minutes for even cooking
Remove from the tray, drizzle with little more olive oil , and let cool on a wire rack
This focaccia is soft, rich, and aromatic-with the beer lending a subtle depth and the potato keeping it irresistibly fluffy. Serve it warm, tear it by hand, and share it generously
📜 A Bit of History
Focaccia has ancient roots in the Mediterranean, long before tomatoes ever reached Italian shores. In Puglia, this bread was traditionally baked in communal wood-fired ovens, often enriched with simple, local ingredients like potatoes and rosemary. Beer wasn’t part of the original recipe, of course- but its addition gives a gentle bitterness and lift, a nod to how traditions evolve without losing their soul