Description
This festive Christmas Tree Focaccia is a beautifully decorated, fluffy Italian flatbread perfect for holiday gatherings. With a tender, bubbly dough topped creatively with fresh rosemary, pear slices, cherry tomatoes, and pearl onions, it’s as delightful to look at as it is to eat. The overnight fermentation ensures a rich flavor and airy texture, making it a standout centerpiece for any winter celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
- 1 2/3 cups warm water
Toppings
- Pear slices (small pieces for tree base and topper)
- Pearl onions (peeled and sliced in half)
- Cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Coarse salt (for sprinkling)
- Olive oil (a few tablespoons for drizzling)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, active dry yeast, and coarse salt. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is shaggy and wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel, then let it sit on the counter to ferment overnight for at least 12 hours.
- Shape the focaccia: The next day, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into a casserole dish approximately 7×12 inches. Remove the plastic wrap from the risen dough, which should be bubbly and risen. Tip the dough into the casserole dish and spread with your hands so it fits snugly. Dimple the dough with your fingers and drizzle more olive oil on top. Lightly cover and let it rest for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 degrees Celsius) while the dough is resting for the final rise.
- Decorate the focaccia: Using fresh rosemary sprigs for tree branches, arrange them in a fan pattern to resemble a Christmas tree shape. Use small slices of pear as the tree base and tree topper. Halve cherry tomatoes and pearl onions to create ornaments, and add thinly sliced red onion as additional decoration. Sprinkle a little coarse salt over the top and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake: Bake the focaccia in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until the bread is puffed up, golden brown, and the toppings are set.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and let the focaccia rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve warm as a festive appetizer or side dish.
Notes
- Use bread flour for better gluten development and a chewier texture.
- The overnight fermentation enhances the flavor and texture, but if short on time, allow at least 8 hours.
- Feel free to customize the toppings with other vegetables or fresh herbs to suit your taste.
- Be generous with olive oil to keep the focaccia moist and flavorful.
- If pearl onions are unavailable, small slices of red onion can substitute.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot but not in direct sunlight to avoid over-proofing.
- This focaccia tastes best fresh but can be reheated gently before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximate)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
