Nonna Romana Sciddurlo’s Focaccia Bread, Barese?Style

Rossella Rago’s Cooking with Nonna celebrates the stories of 25 beloved Italian grandmothers and their incredible recipes. Her Nonna Romana’s recipe for focaccia bread is so delicious and surprisingly easy to make!

Read more about Rossella’s experiences working with these amazing women here.

Nonna Romana Sciddurlo’s Focaccia Bread, Barese?Style

PREP TIME: 2 HOURS 20 MINUTES • COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES • YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

You could say that Nonna Romana’s basement apartment, located next to the boiler room of the house, is the ideal focaccia?making environment. The warm temperature helps the focaccia rise and produces a texture that is crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. She seasons it simply every time with extra?virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and a sprinkle of oregano and salt.

Dough

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra?virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 packet (¼ ounce, or 7 g) active dry yeast

¾ cup (180 ml) water

2 cups (240 g) 00 or all?purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

Topping

6 tablespoons (90 ml) extra?virgin olive oil, divided

3 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1?inch (2.5 cm) wedges

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt, to taste

Nonna Romana Says

If your kitchen is a little cooler than normal, you can let the focaccia rise in the oven at 100°F (38°C).

1. To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the oil, yeast, and water. Let stand until the yeast is dissolved, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour to the yea st mixture. Mix until a smooth, supple dough forms, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl brushed with olive oil. Brush the ball of dough with more oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough.

4. To make the topping: Add 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the olive oil to a 12?inch (30 cm) round pizza pan and spread it evenly, making sure you coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

5. Spread the dough to the edges of the pan with your fingers, starting from the center and working your way out.

6. Top with the tomatoes and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over them. Sprinkle the oregano over the entire surface of the focaccia, followed by a sprinkle of salt.

7. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

8. Preheat the oven to 475°F (240° C).

9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.

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Learn to cook classic Italian recipes like a native with the long-awaited debut cookbook from Rossella Rago, creator of the popular web TV series Cooking with Nonna!

For Rossella Rago, creator and host of Cooking with Nonna TV, Italian cooking was never just about the amazing food or Sunday dinner; it was also about family, community, and tradition. Rossella grew up cooking with her Nonna Romana every Sunday and on holidays, learning the traditional recipes of the Italian region of Puglia, like focaccia, braciole, zucchine alla poverella, and pizza rustica.

In her popular web TV series, Rossella invites Italian-American grandmothers (the unsung heroes of the culinary world) to cook with her, learning the classic dishes and flavors of each region of Italy and sharing them with eager fans all over the world. Now you can take a culinary journey through Italy with Rossella and her debut cookbook, Cooking with Nonna, featuring over 100 classic Italian recipes, along with advice and stories from 25 beloved Italian grandmothers.

With easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and mouthwatering photos, Cooking with Nonna covers appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, meats, breads, cookies, and desserts, and features favorite recipes including: