Description
This festive Christmas Tree Focaccia is a beautiful and delicious bread perfect for holiday gatherings. Made with a simple overnight dough and decorated with fresh rosemary, cherry tomatoes, pearl onions, and pear slices to create a Christmas tree design, this focaccia is both visually stunning and flavorful. The bread is soft, airy, and drizzled with plenty of olive oil for richness.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
- 1 2/3 cup warm water
Toppings and Decoration
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- 6 pearl onions, peeled and halved
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Coarse salt, for sprinkling
- Plenty of olive oil, a few tablespoons, for drizzling
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, active dry yeast, and coarse salt. Whisk together until evenly mixed, then add the warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes shaggy and wet. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest at room temperature overnight for at least 12 hours.
- Prepare the Dough for Second Rise: The next day, generously drizzle olive oil at the bottom of a 7×12 inch casserole dish. Remove the cover from the dough; it should be risen, bubbly, and airy. Tip the dough out into the oiled dish. Using your hands, gently spread the dough to fit the dish snugly. Use your fingers to create dimples across the dough’s surface. Drizzle more olive oil over the top. Cover lightly and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature for a second rise.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Decorate the Focaccia: Arrange fresh rosemary sprigs artistically to resemble tree branches. Place thin pear slices to create the tree base and optionally a tree topper. Scatter halved cherry tomatoes as bright ornaments, and add halved pearl onions for additional decoration. Add thin slices of red onion if desired to enhance color and texture. Sprinkle a little coarse salt over the decorated focaccia.
- Bake the Focaccia: Place the decorated focaccia in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes until the bread is puffed, golden, and the toppings are set and slightly roasted.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes to cool slightly. Slice and serve warm for a festive holiday appetizer or side bread.
Notes
- Use bread flour to achieve the classic chewy focaccia texture.
- Allowing the dough to rest overnight develops deep flavor and airy texture.
- Ensure the water is warm, about 100-110°F, to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Feel free to customize toppings with your favorite herbs or vegetables to decorate your focaccia tree.
- Drizzling plenty of olive oil before and after rising gives the focaccia a rich flavor and crisp crust.
- If pearl onions are unavailable, small shallots or thinly sliced red onions work well as alternatives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 100 g)
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
