How to Make a Focaccia Garden
Soft and wondrously tasty olive oil focaccia is the easiest bread in the world to make, and it’s a perfect blank canvas for floral designs using vegetables and herbs. Focaccia bread art has become a trendy project during this year’s stay-at-home times. I had so much fun decorating and baking mine, and I hope this post will encourage you to try your hand at baking your own healthy, colorful breadscape!
Image source: Dandelion Chandelier
How to Make Focaccia Bread
To make focaccia bread, I generally like to follow Bon Appetit’s no-knead focaccia recipe. For the focaccia dough, simply mix flour, salt, yeast, and water in a bowl with a wooden spoon -- no need to knead! Let the dough rise in the same bowl you mixed it in. While the wet dough rises in the bowl, prep your vegetables and herbs. Once the dough has doubled in volume, turn it out onto a buttered pan, then using your hands, push and pat it around so it’s the same thickness all over. Drizzle with olive oil and spread the oil around. After your dough has risen in the pan (about 1.5 to 4 hours), arrange your flowers and blooms directly on top. Once your garden layout is finished, poke holes with your fingers around and drizzle with some more olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
You might serve your decorated focaccia as a snack, with drinks, or as the bread alongside soups or salads. My family also enjoys eating focaccia as sandwich bread or veggie burger buns!
Image source: Lavender and Lovage
Focaccia Garden Topping Ideas
For long flowers stems:
Green onions
Parsley stems with leaves
Chive stems with blossoms
Thinly sliced asparagus
For flowers and blossoms:
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced radishes
Spiralized sweet potatoes
Mini sweet red and yellow peppers, sliced crosswise
Larger red and yellow peppers, cut in strips for petals
Artichoke hearts
Cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half and arranged as petals
Capers or olives as flower centers and seed pods
For ground cover:
Sliced sauteed mushrooms
Black olives
Sage, oregano, or basil leaves
Tiny thyme petals
Frilly dill stems
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Seeds and nuts
Looking for more inspiration? Browse through some of the prettiest focaccia garden ideas I found on Instagram:
Have you ever made a focaccia garden? Let us know in the comments below!