The Pizza of Puglia

I have a failure story to share. Though I wish I could summon my Italian ancestry at the drop of a hat and whip up perfect dishes on the spot, it’s not quite that easy. This week, I attempted, for the second time, to make Puglian-style focaccia, and sadly, it didn’t turn out as planned.

We’ve spent a lot of time in Northern Italy. Thanks to my years at university, it’s the region I know best. But so much of what we Americans know of Italian culture and cuisine comes from Italians who emigrated from the South, particularly the regions of Puglia, Campania, and Calabria. My family is no exception - my father’s ancestors lived in the Puglian towns of Gravina and Toritto, both near the city of Bari.

Like many countries, Italy’s South is poorer and its food is more tied to the land. Thus, signature plates are based on key ingredients grown locally, such as wheat and tomatoes. And unlike many other spots around the country, pizza is not Puglia’s go-to food. Instead, tourists will see locals munching on Focaccia Barese, focaccia in the style of Bari.

Focaccia is most famous in Puglia and Liguria (a region on the western coast - home to Genova and Cinque Terre). Ligurian focaccia is thinner and often incorporates stringy mozzarella cheese. Sounds heavenly, but I focused on southern, vegan focaccia this time. Focaccia Barese is tall, fluffy, and usually topped with pomodorini (cherry tomatoes), oregano, and thin-sliced red onion. It’s a nutritious, filling snack that’s found all over Bari, so I attempted to make it myself. If you want to follow along, I used this recipe from Cucina Italiana.

The first attempt at this recipe resulted in rock-hard, thin sheets of…I don’t even know what. I think the problem was that I used baking sheets, which were too wide and spread the dough too thin. My second try was slightly more fruitful. At least, the photos turned out well! I spoke to a Pugliese who shared a few helpful tips regarding the focaccia toppings. While the flavors were perfect and my cast-iron skillet made for a slightly thicker, more edible crust, my dough still didn’t rise properly. It didn’t evolve into the thick, fluffy bread I was craving.

If you’re a bread-making extraordinaire, please share your wisdom with me. After Mission: Focaccia failed the second time, I looked up common mistakes. Here are a few things to keep in mind when attempting Focaccia Barese. If you try this yourself, report back in the comments!

1. Activate the yeast properly (use warm water)

2. Use filtered water if your tap water is mineral-rich like ours

3. Ensure the dough is sufficiently kneaded (10 mins!!)

Thanks to my Pugliese source, I salted my tomatoes before adding them to the dough. He was adamant about this suggestion, as unsalted tomatoes will result in uneven flavors and an unpleasant contrast between the bread and toppings. Some recipes call for olives in addition to onion and tomatoes, but the classic recipe is super simple. I did add red pepper flakes, however (they’re a must in our household). See below for how to make Bari-style focaccia using a timeless hack: dough from the store.

Focaccia Barese/Bari-Style Focaccia

Ingredients (makes 1 focaccia):

• EVOO

• 1 batch of store-bought pizza dough

• Roughly 1/2 lb of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin

• Oregano

• Kosher salt

• Pepper

• Red pepper flakes

Directions:

Place dough in a cast-iron skillet drizzled with oil.

Toss halved tomatoes with salt to taste.

Generously cover the dough with olive oil and press tomatoes into indentations made with your fingers. Sprinkle onion slices, oregano, and a dash of red pepper flakes on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake according to the pizza dough packaging. Most focaccia recipes recommend about 15-20 minutes at 480 F.