Description
Poinsettia Focaccia Bread is a festive, visually stunning bread shaped like poinsettia flowers using red bell peppers and yellow cherry tomatoes. This savory focaccia is infused with rosemary and olive oil, offering a flavorful and aromatic experience that’s perfect for holiday gatherings or special occasions. Easy to make with simple ingredients, it features a tender dough that rises and bakes into a golden crust, decorated creatively to impress your guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- 2 Teaspoons sea salt
- 3½ Cups all purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast (bread-making)
- 1½ Cups water (warm, filtered)
- 1½ Teaspoons granulated sugar
Toppings
- 2 large red bell peppers, cut into triangles
- 1 yellow cherry tomato
- Arugula (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine sea salt, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, dried rosemary, instant yeast, warm filtered water, and olive oil. Mix the ingredients with an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook or use a spatula until a shaggy dough forms, ensuring all components are well incorporated.
- First rise in baking dish: Pour olive oil onto a 9 x 13-inch baking slab or dish and spread evenly to coat the surface. Transfer the dough into the dish and press it down gently until it reaches all corners, forming an even layer. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it has roughly doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven: After the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) to ensure it’s ready for baking the focaccia.
- Dimple the dough: Using your fingers, poke the dough all over to create characteristic dimples, which help provide texture and allow the oil to penetrate the bread during baking.
- Create poinsettia flowers: Arrange the red bell pepper triangles on the dough in two flower shapes, each resembling a poinsettia flower. Then, carefully cut the yellow cherry tomato in half and place one half in the center of each pepper flower, acting as the flower’s center.
- Season and bake: Sprinkle additional sea salt over the decorated dough to enhance flavor. Place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the bread is golden and cooked through.
- Finish and garnish: Once baked, remove the focaccia from the oven and immediately drizzle with olive oil to add richness and gloss. Optionally, arrange fresh arugula leaves near the pepper flowers to mimic poinsettia leaves and add a peppery note to the presentation.
Notes
- Poinsettia focaccia bread makes an adorable centerpiece for holiday tables and is surprisingly easy to make, even for amateur bakers.
- You can customize the decoration using other colorful vegetables if red bell peppers or yellow cherry tomatoes are unavailable.
- For a crispier crust, bake the focaccia on a pizza stone or preheated baking sheet.
- If you prefer a softer focaccia, drizzle additional olive oil after baking and cover with a clean towel while cooling.
- Arugula is optional but adds a fresh, slightly spicy contrast that complements the savory bread beautifully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 344 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 782 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
