Soda Bread Focaccia combines two popular breads in one delicious slice. Inspired by a recipe from the Ballymaloe Irish Cookery School, this flavorful, moist and crunchy bread couldn’t be easier or quicker to put together. Sourdoughed like traditional soda bread, baking soda and baking powder work in tandem to give this focaccia its depth and soft texture. Despite the absence of yeast, the end result will look and taste like traditional focaccia in much less time.
Storage: Store, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 1 month. If you are freezing leftovers, cut them into individual slices before freezing. Reheat leftover focaccia, wrapped in foil and on a baking sheet, in a 300-degree oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Ingredients
Servings: 12 (makes a 9 x 13 inch slab)
Directions
Active: 15 minutes
|Total: 30 minutes
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Step 1
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Generously brush a 9×13-inch skillet with oil.
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2nd step
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, thyme, and garlic and onion powders until well combined.
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Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and bread flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and fine salt until well combined. Pour in the buttermilk and mix with a flexible spatula until the dough comes together and no dry spots remain – the dough will be sticky.
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Step 4
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Dip your fingertips in the seasoned oil and use them to gently press and stretch the dough into the bottom of the pan and into the corners. Continue to make dimples all over the surface of the dough, dipping your fingers again in the oil if necessary, until the top of the dough is evenly dimpled and generously oiled. Brush or drizzle remaining seasoned oil over bread and sprinkle evenly with flaky salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
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Step 5
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top is generously browned and crisp, turning back and forth halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and use a thin metal spatula to immediately transfer bread to a wire rack. (If the bread cracks a little or crumbles around the edges, that’s OK.) Brush generously with olive oil. Let cool until warm, then serve with more olive oil for dipping, on the side.
Replacements
Do you prefer fresh thyme leaves? >> Use 2 teaspoons instead of dried.
