• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Waves in the Kitchen logo

  • Food
    • Recipe Index
      • Colors & Seasons
  • Photography
  • Adventure
  • About
    • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Food
    • Recipe Index
      • Colors & Seasons
  • Adventure
  • About
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Food / Beet Focaccia

    Beet Focaccia

    Jul 3, 2021 · 2 Comments

    850 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    The prettiest pink and most marvelously magenta no-knead beet-a-licious focaccia! The beets add a sweet earthiness and it’s brined-before-baked making for a perfectly chewy-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside focaccia that’s full of fabulously colorful flair! 

    raw focaccia dough in a baking pan topped with edible flowers and herbs; overhead shot.
    always an option to arrange fresh herbs and flowers and more on top!

    WHAT YOU'LL NEED: flour, salt, yeast, olive oil, beets, honey, vinegar and water – that’s it!

    If you’ve been following my Instagram adventures lately, you know I’ve been quasi obsessed with making beet-a-vicious focaccia ever since I laid eyes on Carolina Gelen's fab creation! Been experimenting with all sorts of focaccia making ways; from how it’s made, to what it’s made with (to fermenting times and more. And this unofficially yet very rigorous focaccia research let to me Samin Nostrat & Diego making Ligurian focaccia on Netflix. 

    Roasted Beet Focaccia Topped with fresh lavender and sage; overhead shot.
    my very first one! topped with fresh lavender and sage!

    Let’s just say I’m *officially* on team brine-your-focaccia ALL THE WAYYYYYY!!!

    THAT FABULOUS COLOR! 

    Is au natural and from roasted and pureed beets. Gotta love that natural coloring agent that’s beet juice! Sometimes the hue is pinker. Sometimes it’s more purple. That’s what happens when ya work with a natural coloring agent; the exact shade is a bit variable but always fabulous! 

    3 different roasted beet focaccia doughs = 3 diffident shades of pink/purple!

    • Roasted Beet Focaccia dough on a baking pan sprinkled with salt; pre-oven and overhead shot.
    • Raw beet focaccia dough spread of a baking sheet with parchment paper; overhead shot.
    • Brining raw beet focaccia dough; overhead and unclose shot of the brine in the pink focaccia dimples.

    Ligurian Focaccia 

    That’s a brined and long fermented focaccia from the north western region of Italy, called Liguria. Traditionally, a salt and water mixture is poured over the dough before the final rise then baked (gasp! Pouring water over dough?! Have ya ever heard of such a thang?!). 

    I riffed on the classic brine and added some white vinegar to preserve our precious beet color (spoiler alert: much color is lost in da oven). 

    Love how the brine settles into the cutie dimples and the vinegar turns a hot pretty pink! 

    Brining raw beet focaccia dough; overhead and unclose shot of the brine in the pink focaccia dimples.
    that brine in those dimples!

    Note: The dough will look wet, like really, really, really wet and that’s alrighty! The brine adds a divine saltiness to your crispy crust!

    Key Ingredients: yeast, flour, salt, olive oil

    All-purpose flour: stick with it. Save your fancy flours for other recipes. 

    Olive oil: use your good stuff; the flavor really comes through. And it’s an olive oil bread after all. 

    Diamond kosher salt: worth seeking out if ya can. Otherwise modify salt quantity to accommodate your variety. 

    Food Photographer Daniela Gerson holding a pan of raw beet focaccia dough decorated like a garden; overhead shot.
    painted my nails to compliment this beauty!

    Top the dough with fresh or dried herbs, edible flowers, or anything else your heart desires. 

    Just remember to plan in advance cause this beauty needs to rest overnight (don’t we all?!) and have fun in the process!

    And don't be too bummed when a open to the oven door to find the pretty pink and marvelous magenta color significantly dimmed... it's still super delicious!

    Beet focaccia on a baking sheet and cut into slices; overhead shot.
    post oven
    Post oven overhead roasted beet focaccia shot with edible flowers.
    post oven
    Beet focaccia cut into squares and served on a black plate; straight on shot with a black background.
    the crust retains the most color!
    Beet focaccia slices arranged on baking sheet; either dimple side and crust side up; overhead shot.

    Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with @DanielaGerson. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

    Let's make waves in the kitchen!

    raw focaccia dough in a baking pan topped with edible flowers and herbs; overhead shot.
    Print Recipe
    4 from 1 vote

    Beet Focaccia

    The prettiest pink and most marvelously magenta no-knead beet-a-licious focaccia! Perfectly chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside, and full of fabulously colorful flair!
    *Adapted from Samin Nostrat in Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Resting Time16 hrs
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: Italian-Californian
    Servings: 10
    Author: Daniela Gerson

    Ingredients

    For the Beet Puree

    • 4 medium beets roasted, cooled, and skinned
    • 1/4 - 3/4 cup of water

    For the Dough:

    • 2½ cups lukewarm water
    • ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
    • 2½ teaspoons honey
    • 5 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
    • 10-11 tablespoons olive oil; divided for dough, pan and finishing
    • Flaky salt for finishing

    For the Brine:

    • 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
    • ⅓ cup lukewarm water
    • 1 tablespoon White Vinegar

    Instructions

    • Chop roasted and skinned beets and puree beats in a blender, adding water 1-2 tablespoons at a time until mixture is completely smooth. Measure out 1.5 cups and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine water, yeast, and honey; stir until dissolved. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 1.5 cups of beet puree. Stir until flour is just incorporated. Dough will be very wet, and no kneading is necessary. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature to ferment until at least doubled in volume; 12 -14 hours (rising time will vary considerably depending on the season).
    • When ready to bake, spread 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil onto an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Using a spatula or your hands, gently fold dough onto itself and transfer onto the prepared pan. Pour an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough and gently stretch it to the edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward. The dough will keep shrinking, so repeat and stretch once or twice over the course of 30 minutes until it’s fully stretched out and completely covers the pan.
    • To dimple the dough, use oiled fingertips and pressing the pads of your first three fingers in at an angle.
    • To make the brine, stir the salt, water, and vinegar together until the salt has dissolved. Pour the brine over the dough to fill dimples and set aside at room temperature for the final proof, until the dough is light and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
    • 30 minutes into this final proof (15 minutes before baking), adjust oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 450°F. If you have a baking stone, place it on rack. Otherwise, invert another sturdy baking sheet and place on rack. Allow to preheat with the oven until very hot, before proceeding with baking.
    • When ready to bake, sprinkle focaccia with flaky salt, to taste (remember there’s also salt in the brine).
    • Bake for 25-30 minutes, directly on top of stone or inverted pan, until the bottom crust looks golden brown and crispy. To finish browning top crust, place focaccia on upper rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more.
    • Remove from oven and brush with 2-3 more tablespoons of olive oil over the entire surface. Let cool for 5 minutes (the oil will absorb into the bread as it sits). Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe? Please share and tag @DanielaGerson! I'd love to see how you're making colorful waves in the kitchen!
    « The Ultimate Guide on Roasted Radishes
    Apple Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan Wilson says

      February 01, 2022 at 8:16 pm

      4 stars
      Dough doubled in 2 hrs. Very careful to measure Your mistake or mine?
      If mine , why.

      Reply
      • Daniela Gerson says

        February 05, 2022 at 6:54 pm

        Hi Susan - the dough is meant to double in size! Exact rising time will vary considerably depending on the season, etc. Did you leave it out to ferment the 12-14 hours?

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Meet Daniela

    VEGGIES ARE SEXY 

    Hi, I'm Daniela - a Los Angeles based food photographer and creative director. I began my career as a chef with a passion for sourcing colorful produce from local markets. I love emphasizing the beauty of real food with my images. I’m also a food stylist and recipe developer with a gorgeous prop-filled studio in Venice, California.

    Daniela Gerson Photography

    Subscribe to the Newsletter

    PDN First Place Taste

    Popular Fall Recipes

    Beet Hummus with Parsley, Lemon Zest, Za'atar & Flaky Sea Salt, in a white bowl.

    Beet Hummus

    Finished tart with tahini swirl, side angle shot.

    Chocolate Tahini Tart

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie. Topped with sugared cranberries and sugared thyme. Side Ange shot. Up close. On a black background.

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon. Pre Oven with blood oranges, lemons, Meyer lemons, limes, kumquats, red onions, garlic, parsley, and dill on the salmon.

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon

    Mascarpone Cheesecake with balsamic roasted long stemmed strawberries, out of the spring form pan, 45 degree angle shot.

    Amaretto & Mascarpone Cheesecake

    Pomegranate Chicken topped with pomegranate arils and parsley, in cast iron skillet on a white background; overhead shot.

    Pomegranate Chicken

    Popular Posts

    Beet Hummus with Parsley, Lemon Zest, Za'atar & Flaky Sea Salt, in a white bowl.

    Beet Hummus

    Raw chicken thighs topped with cherries and rosemary in a skillet; overhead shot.

    Cherry Chicken

    Finished tart with tahini swirl, side angle shot.

    Chocolate Tahini Tart

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie. Topped with sugared cranberries and sugared thyme. Side Ange shot. Up close. On a black background.

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie

    Easy to make No-Bake delicious Cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries, date syrup, and flaky salt; side angle shot on a grey background.

    No-Bake Cheesecake

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon. Pre Oven with blood oranges, lemons, Meyer lemons, limes, kumquats, red onions, garlic, parsley, and dill on the salmon.

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon

    Sites that have featured Waves in the Kitchen

    Copyright © 2023 Waves in the Kitchen • Privacy Policy • Disclosure

    850 shares