Chocolate Focaccia
Chocolate Focaccia is the perfect combination of soft, chewy focaccia and fudgy chocolate brownies. It's full of rich flavor thanks to olive oil and flaky sea salt. This easy recipe is the perfect impressive treat for brunch or dessert!
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 165kcal
Ingredients
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm water 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit
- 1⅛ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more for your hands
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2½ tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Topping
- flaky sea salt optional but highly recommended
- ⅓ cup cherries pitted, halved or quartered, optional
Instructions
- Stir together the water and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir again. Let stand til yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the yeast doesn’t foam, discard the mixture and start again with new yeast).
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix on low until ingredients are incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape down sides of bowl if needed to combine ingredients. Next, increase the speed to medium. Mix for 5 minutes. A sticky, elastic dough should form and start sticking to the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chips and mix til just combined.
- Brush a large mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Use a spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl and to transfer it to the oiled bowl. Lightly rub any oil that's pooled around the edges of the dough over on top of the surface of the dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Set aside until the dough has doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Brush an 8 inch square pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Uncover the dough. Grease your hands with olive oil. Slide one hand under the edge of the dough then fold it into itself. Continue folding the dough into itself as you work around the edge of the bowl til you have a rough ball that you can lift out of the bowl.
- Place the dough in the prepared pan. Turn over to coat in the oil. Use your hands to gently press the dough to the pan’s edges. Allow the dough to relax and pull back from the edges then press it to the edges again. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Set aside to rise for about 45 minutes until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 425°F about 30 minutes into the rise.
- Remove the plastic wrap then drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the dough. Grease your hands with olive oil and use your fingers to make indentations or dimples across the surface of the dough. Press your fingers all the way through the dough to the pan. Top with the chopped cherries, if using and sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn focaccia out of pan and allow to cool on the cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- Slice with a long serrated knife. Slice and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Doubling the recipe: Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes
Olive oil: For best flavor, use good quality extra virgin olive oil. You can use vegetable oil or melted butter in place of the olive oil.
Cherries: Cherries are optional. Leave them out or substitute them with blueberries.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking and Love and Lemons.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 2mg
